Lost In You
by Reigns'Sweetheart
Summary: Roman Reigns moves to Texas and finds himself living in his car for 8 months before meeting Cassandra Calaway. When she presents a job opportunity for him, he takes it and lands the job. After a rough start between the two, can they each keep their grip on their own heart or will they find their way in and realize why they crossed paths?
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own WWE, NXT or any of the Superstars and Divas from either roster that may appear in this story. Names and locations are used for story purposes only.**

It was a bit of a chilly December evening in Houston, Texas as I walked across the parking lot from my car, to the restaurant that I was going to have dinner in with my best friend. As I got closer, I saw a large man sitting by one of the empty parking spots that was by the door. He hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail while wearing a black, short sleeve shirt showing a sleeve tattoo on his right arm and tan skin as he wore dark blue jeans with sneakers that looked worn out with a goatee and facial hair that seemed to not have been shaven for a few days. A black bag was beside him that he seemed to keep a close eye on even as he sat there taking in the chill, seeing as he wasn't wearing anything over his shirt. Looking at him, our eyes locked and there was something there. A level of understanding, of peace between us though we had never met before, let alone seen each other until this moment. Going inside, I look back after feeling a pair of eyes on me. Looking back, I see him watching me, and so I slow down and look at him, before turning the corner and seeing my friend standing there, on her phone.

"Hi, Kaitlyn." I say with a smile as we share a hug. She has been my best friend for the last five years and we've been there for each other through some of the toughest times in our lives, becoming inseparable in the process. Standing at only five foot eight, she stood about an inch shorter than me with brown hair after deciding to change her signature locks from blonde and black to brown.

"Hey, girl. How you are?" She asks, pulling away and following me to make the line to ask for our drinks and pay.

"I'm good, just a bit tired. I had a long day at work." I say. "What about you?"

She smiles. "It's been really good. I had that photo shoot today that I mentioned earlier this month for a fitness magazine. This is what I've always mentioned that I wanted, Cassandra. To have a career in fitness and after what we went through in Florida, to be here now...it's just amazing."

"I'm really proud of you." I tell her with the biggest smile. "What about you and the husband?"

"We're doing great!" She exclaims with a big smile on her face as we walk to a table for two and put our drinks down before grabbing our own plates to go to the buffet. "He's got a competition coming up in a few weeks for body building, so he's been preparing for that. What about you, Ms. Still Single."

I look at her. "I just haven't found that guy yet. I always get the guys who only like me for my looks."

"What guy in their right mind wouldn't like how you look?" She asks. "You're gorgeous. Curves in all the right places, long brown hair, beautiful green eyes that look blue sometimes. There's a guy out there who'll like you for more than just looks, you know. He'll come around. How's your dad by the way?"

"My dad's doing really good." I say with a smile. "He's in good shape and he's feeling really good."

About a little over an hour later, Kaitlyn and I had finished eating and were leaving the restaurant when I saw the same guy still sitting there. Only this time Dean Ambrose, who worked at the restaurant, was giving him containers of food that were being put into the guys bag with a few bottles of water as they ate. Looking up when Kaitlyn and I walked by, the guy stiffened up and continued eating as he looked away. He really looked to be in rough shape, and I felt the urge to just help him.

"Hi, ladies." Dean says with a smile.

"Hi." We replied with smiles of our own.

"This is Roman." He said, introducing the guy to us. "Roman, the one in the beige is Kaitlyn and the one of the pink is Cassandra."

The man looked up at us and gave us a small smile before looking back down at his food and continuing to eat as if he hadn't eaten in days. I looked at him and turned around to walk away after saying goodnight to Dean. Kaitlyn quickly catches up to me as I take our my car key for my SUV Tahoe. We talk for a few more minutes before we go our separate ways and I go back home to my three bedroom condo.

Over the next few days, I had seen this Roman guy only two more times. Both times were of him just sitting near a car and watching the cars pass by. I had seen Dean earlier in the day and he had mentioned how he had hit a rough patch and couldn't find a job to help him get on his feet. Both of them had been asking for jobs since the restaurant that Dean works at wasn't hiring at the moment, but there wasn't any luck. It wasn't until this very moment, before getting to my car to go back to work from my lunch break, I saw him walking into the parking lot with the same bag and the same sneakers that he had the last time I saw him.

"Can I talk to you?" I ask the large guy as I make my way to him. I realize the blue/grey eyes that were staring at me, the rippling muscles that were shown underneath his grey shirt and the mysteriousness that he had about him. He hair was still in a pony tail, though he had it much neater and he seemed to have shaved a bit, but it was growing back, his facial hair.

"About what?" He asked in a deep voice. "Aren't you that Cassandra girl that I saw a few days ago, by the way?"

My mind momentarily went blank at the sound of his voice. Deep and strong, but a hint of softness behind it as he spoke and said her name. "Um...yeah, I am. I was wondering if you or anybody you know was looking for a job."

"If I was looking a job?" He asks, with attitude. "What makes you think I need one?"

Taken aback by his attitude, I scoffed but kept my comments to myself. "The high school I work at is looking for someone to work in the office and for the attendance. They're also looking for someone who can be a football coach for the school's football team as well as someone who can help out during the remainder of the school year with gym classes."

I take out a piece of paper and a pen from my purse and write down something before giving it to him. He takes a look at it and says nothing, even as he looks back up at me.

"If you don't want any of those jobs, I understand." I say. "It may not sound like the best job, or the most luxurious job in the world. At least, to you, it may not be sound like it is. But in case you change your mind, or in case you run into anybody who's looking for a job, there's the address and the name of the school as well as the phone number, the name of the principal and the school's website. I was just trying to be nice. You don't have to give me an attitude and act like I just told you the worst thing in the world. There's people out there who are desperate for a job and you want to stand there, giving me an attitude because I told you about a job opening?"

After giving him the address, I turned around and walked away as I put my pen and my notepad back in my purse. I left without bothering to look to see if he was still there as I left. Another two weeks had gone by without seeing him and I gave up thinking that he was going to give this job thing a try.

 ***Roman's POV***

"Dean?" I ask when I walk into his living room. I see the blonde hair, blue eyed man from Cincinnati sitting on his couch, watching television and so I go sit next to him.

"Yeah?" He asks when he sees me. Dean and I met when I had first moved to Texas. He had been my best friend ever since. My brother and he has tried to help me out a bit. Sometimes, I feel like he's the only one that fully understands my situation and who can understand it better than anybody else who tried.

I wait for them to give commercials before talking to him. "Do you remember that girl that you introduced me to about a little over two weeks ago? She was with her friend. Her name's Cassandra."

"I remember." He said.

"Did you tell her about my situation?" I ask him.

Dean looks at me in the eyes. "No, I didn't. I just told her that you were having a bit of a rough patch and I asked if she knew of anybody that was hiring. That's as far as it went. Did something happen?"

"I saw her two weeks ago and she said that the school that she works in was hiring someone to be the coach for the football team and someone to work in the office and with the attendance." I tell him.

"That's great." He says with a smile on his face. "You were a football coach before you came here to Texas, so you could try out for that and see what happens. But it's been two weeks and you're just now telling me this. And why is the look on your face telling me that you haven't applied yet for the job?"

"I don't want anybody feeling bad for me. I want to do this on my own." I say. "Besides, when she mentioned the whole job thing, I had a bit of an attitude which didn't probably do any favors for me."

Dean groans. "Damn it, Roman. Why are you always doing this?"

"Doing what?" I ask.

"Passing by on opportunities that come your way." He says. "I understand that you want to try to do it on your own. I was the same way when I left high school. Wanting to do it on my own and to this day, there's still times where I'm like that. But, at this very moment, you're not exactly in a position where you can have the luxury of choosing what you want as a job. You don't have any family here and you've been living out of your car since you got here eight months ago and you still haven't been able to catch a break on a job. Stop trying to ignore the help that people try to give you. You could use my place as an address until you get your own place."

I look back at the television when I see that the show he was watching came back from commercials. Dean put the volume on mute before he turned his attention back to me.

"I know you want to be this Samoan badass, Roman and I give you a hell of a lot of credit." Dean continues. "You've been toughing it out on your own since you got here to Texas from Florida. With no family and nobody to really look out for you and not a lot of money left to your name."

"You look out for me." I say.

"Because you've become like a brother to me, Roman. No, you don't really take a lot of the help that I offer and there's times when I go days without seeing you and I wonder if you're okay. But I commend you for trying the best you can with what little you have." He says. "The time is going to come though where you're going to need to do something to get out of the situation you're in. You can't keep living in your car for the rest of your life, just because you don't want someone to feel bad for you if they find out about what's going on with you. I can see the passion and fire in your eyes to do better for yourself. But if you don't try, you'll never be able to. Chances, opportunities...they don't always just fall on your lap when you want them to. Take it from me. I came here to Texas, with only $100 to my name. No place to live, and a beaten down car that was barely running right. No job. No family. No friends. I was here by myself. I didn't want nobody to help me because I didn't want them feeling sorry for me. Those $100 barely lasted me a month before I was legit broke with nowhere to go. The restaurant I'm at now, barely hired me when I went in to apply for a job. But they gave me a chance and I'm still there, about to become assistant manager. It's not where I want to be eventually, but it's a start. You said it yourself that you would love to coach college ball one day and maybe even pro. You've been playing football since you were 7 and you went on to play college ball on a scholarship. You've got experience coaching. Why not apply? Cassandra doesn't know you or anything about you, so why are you worrying about what she thinks?"

"I'm not." I say quietly. "But she's the only one out of her and friend that I can't forget."

Dean looks at me. "You d know her friend's married, right?"

"I didn't notice if she had a ring or not, but I'm not talking about her friend. I'm talking about Cassandra." I tell him. "There was something there when I looked at her. As if I've known her for a long time without ever having met her before. But why would she want to help out someone that she's never met before? Someone that she doesn't know anything about?"

"Look, I've known Cassandra for a while now." Dean says. "One thing that you should know about her is that she has a big heart and she likes to help people out. She helped me make a resume and motivated me to apply for a job after meeting her at a local soup kitchen. That's one thing I really like about her. She's a really sweet person and she never does harm to others. Besides, you don't know her either. The two of you may surprise each other."

 ** _One week later..._**

"Mr. Reigns, thank you for coming in today." said Principal Paul Levesque as I walk into his office and shake his hand. He wore a black suit with a white shirt underneath and a black tie with black dress shoes. He was about an inch taller than me with green eyes and short, blonde hair and a wedding ring on his ring finger.

"Thank you for having me." I tell him as I take a seat in front of him as I wear my grey suit with a white shirt and black dress shoes that I managed to keep, even after losing almost all of my things and I managed to make sure it was presentable enough for today. I shaved my face this morning and put my hair into a neat bun after spending the last few days at Dean's apartment. I look around his office and see the table that we are currently sitting at, that was long and round, I guess for meetings and black chairs. His desk was a few feet away, by the window that was made of Mahogany with a black chair behind it as well as a computer and his name plate.

"We're in need of a football coach that can also help out with gym classes throughout the school year." Principal Levesque said. "After looking at your resume, Mr. Reigns, I'm actually impressed. Very impressed."

I give him a small smile, remembering that Dean helped me out a bit with updating my resume the night before I applied. "Thank you, sir."

"You played football at the high school level before going to college and playing football there on a scholarship. You started three years in a row, and you then coached for a few years, bringing your teams to several championships. What makes you the perfect candidate here at Houston High?"

"I have a passion for what I do." I say, feeling a bit nervous but agreeing with what Dean said, saying that this could be a good opportunity for me. "I've been playing football since I was 7 years old with the dreams of making it big after college. But when that didn't work out, I decided to pursue a coaching career for football. I'm a hard worker. I'm dependable and I know I can do a good job. I just need a chance."

He looks at me and smiles as he nods. A few moments later, he decides to give me a tour of the school starting with what was on the second floor, which was the main office which was also where they received the attendance each morning after what Principal Hernandez said was 3rd period. There was a break room there for the staff as well as a few small classrooms. We then went to the gym where students filled it up. The majority of them sat on the bleachers while some played basketball and others walked around.

Walking throughout the rest of the school, we finally got to the 4th floor when something caught my eye. We passed a classroom that, even though the door was closed, there was nothing blocking the view from the glass was on the door, like in the other classrooms. The woman standing in front of the room wore grey dress pants that showed her long legs and a white button up shirt, both showing her curves. Her hair slicked back into a neat ponytail as she held an open book in her hands as she talked to a class full of students.

"That's Ms. Calaway. She's an English teacher who's been here for, going on two years now." Principal Levesque says. "She teaches juniors and seniors and has become a fast favorite among a lot of our students. Ms. Calaway's really good at what she does and she loves teaching. Good qualities to have in a teacher."

"Do we have to dress professionally?" I ask. "Like she does?"

"It's not a rule, but we definitely encourage it." He says as the bell rings, indicating the ending of the period. "Now of course, you can wear regular clothing, especially on Fridays' or the last day of classes and on field trips, depending on where it is that you're going. But keep it professional. No shirts showing off your midriff, no clothing that can rip when you bend down. Even when you dress in professional clothing. Of course, if you're a coach or the gym teacher, then obviously, you'll be in athletic wear most of the time."

Students filled the hallways that were lined with classrooms and lockers. Sounds of lockers closing filled the air as we continued to walk around. Going back to his office, the principal closed the door behind him before we sat at the same table we were seated at earlier.

"Mr. Reigns, I would really like to offer you this position of football coach." He says to me. "Ever since I saw your resume, I knew I had to get you in for an interview. I see the passion in your eyes for this and I can hear it in your voice when you talk about it. That's the kind of people we love to have as part of our staff. Are you still interested in this job?"

"Really?" I ask with a smile. "I would be honored to accept this job."

He smiled before we talked some more about the job and it's description as well as some of the rules and regulations.

 **A/N: Why did Roman leave Florida to go to Texas? What caused him to go through a rough patch for the last few months? Why did Cassandra decide to tell him about the jobs that her school was hiring for? Now that he has the job, will they get along, or will they keep their distance from each other after getting off on a bit of a rough start? What do you think made Roman finally take an opportunity at a job after months of passing on opportunities?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed and who has put this story on their favorites and alerts list so far! I really appreciate it!**

 ***Roman's POV*  
** After the last bell of the day goes off, I lock the door to my office and I go walk around a bit once I check on my car and getting a quick snack before going to my first practice without the previous coach there to show me a bit of what he usually do. It was now January and since there was still some time left in the football season for them, I was hoping to get the team to end on a good note.

Turning the corner, I see a woman walking in my direction with a bag with two books and what looked like a laptop in her hand. Her black heels clicked with each step that she took and I saw that it matched her black dress shoes and a blue button up shirt with her hair in a neat bun. Walking closer to her, she slows down and I then realize who it is.

"I see you got the job." She says as she sees me in a t-shirt with the school colors and black sneakers with black sweatpants.

"Yeah and I wanted to thank you for telling me about the job." I tell her as I see her beautiful green eyes that had hints of blue in them. "And I wanted to apologize."

She looks at me. "Apologize for what?"

"I'm sorry for the way I acted when you told me about the job opening here." I say. "I shouldn't have acted like that, it was wrong of me to do so and I'm sorry. I realize that you were just trying to be nice."

"I forgive you." She says before silence filled the air as the last bit of students left the hallways. "Congratulations on getting the job. What made you change your mind about applying?"

"I realized that I couldn't continue letting opportunities pass me by and Dean may have had a hand in getting me to realize that." I say.

She smiled at that last part. "Dean's a good guy and a good friend. I'll see you around."

"I'll see you around." I say as I watch her walk away. I kick the ground and start going towards the guys' locker room to meet the team. I walk in and see that there's guys already there and I greet them as I walk by them. "Is everybody here?"

"There's a few guys that haven't made it yet." Said one of the seniors. "They're freshmen."

I let out a sigh and look at my watch. "Are they always late?"

"Yes, sir." Said another one of the seniors. "I'm surprised they haven't been kicked off the team yet for always being late. I think what keeps them on is that they're pretty good and they seem to have potential."

"Let's get started on warmups and see if they show up." I say as I get a few things together to take outside to the field with me after I take attendance to see who all is here.

Once warmups are over, that's when the three freshman come out into the field. "Okay guys, good job on the warm ups. Let's practice those drills that we talked about earlier. You three, do some warm ups."

"Can't we start out on the drills?" Said one of the guys.

"You came late. Now warm up. I'm not having you three pull a muscle out there because of not being properly warmed up." I tell them. "Let's go."

 _ **Two hours later...**_

"Good job today, everyone. That was a good practice." I said to the guys as we walked into the locker room. "I'll talk to everyone again before you guys leave for a few more things. Matthew, Daniel and Isaiah." I said, naming the three freshman that came in late.

"Yes, coach?" They ask.

"Why were you three late today?" I asked them.

"Well, we came out of class late." Said Daniel who was the smaller one of the three.

I look at them. "I'm being told this wasn't the first time that you three have been late, but I'm also told that you three are pretty good. By the looks of it, you guys really are good and you really do have potential. You just have to show up on time and not give me lip about it when I'm on your ass about being late."

"The last coach never did anything about it." Said Matthew who was the tallest and biggest of the three.

"I'm not the previous coach." I tell them. "I may be new at this school, but this isn't my first go around on coaching. Start getting here on time or else you won't play at the next game if you don't get it together by then, is that understood?"

"Yes, Coach." They mumbled before walking away.

When the guys finished their showers and they finished getting ready to go, I called them together for one more talk. "I know you guys are probably itching to get home, but I just wanted to genuinely thank you guys for today. That was a really good practice and I see a lot of potential here. Is there anything that you guys are concerned about as far as this goes? Practice? The season in general?"

"I don't know how much you've been informed about as far as our season goes." Said one of the juniors whose name was Jaime. "But we haven't been doing all that great this season. We've had more losses than we've had wins. Do you think that there's any chance of us getting into at least a championship picture this year? Honestly."

"It'll be difficult." I say as honest as possible. "I've seen the stats for this team for this season. For the amount of games that we have left this season, I can't promise that we'll be able to get a championship game, let alone if we'll even be looked at as worthy enough to even be considered because of the amount of losses this team has taken this season. But I can promise that we'll end this season on a really good note. We have two games this weekend and three next weekend followed by a few more. If we don't get a championship this year, that's okay. Let's not get discouraged by that, especially those that are going to be returning next year for the team. Let's show everybody at every game that we have remaining this year, that we can do better. That we're worthy of being looked at and noticed for winning. For the good that this team does. Let's not fall back into the same patterns of this season when the new ones start."

 ***Cassandra's POV***

Days went by before I spoke to him again. It wasn't until the day of the next game that he unexpectedly showed up in my classroom. Though we had seen each other in the hallways, we hadn't said a word to each other.

"Ms. Calaway." He said as he stood at the door in his usual attire.

"Hi." I said, feeling that peacefulness I had felt the first time I saw him. "Are you ready for your game tonight?"

He smiled and I felt my heart flutter at the sight of it. "Yes. I'm looking forward to it. I'm hoping we can get a win."

"I'm sure you will. I've been hearing good things about you from everyone." I said. "I have a few of your players in all of my classes and they really seem to like you."

"That's good to hear." He says with another smile. "Um...I was wondering, though, if we could start over."

I look at him curiously as he slowly walks in and over to me and seeing the tests that I had just finished grading before putting them away. "Start over, how?"

"My name is Roman Reigns and as you already know, I'm the football coach, here at Houston High." He says as he extends his hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Reigns." I say with a smile of my own as I take his hand in mine and shake it. "My name is Cassandra Calaway and I'm an English teacher here at Houston High."

Noticing how perfectly my hand fit into his, we then realized how long we had been holding hands and let go. I hooked a strand of my hair behind my ear as I look down, wanting to ignore the loud sound of my beating heart in my chest.

"Are you going to be watching out for updates on the game?" He asked.

"Yes. You're going to win your third game in a row, right?" I asked.

He chuckled. "Of course. This could be the start of a winning streak here."

I smile before getting my things together. After a few more minutes, I grab my things and begin to walk towards the door. "So you're going to have the team practice today?"

"Yeah, but I'm thinking of shortening practice today since the game is going to be in the other team's school tonight." He says as I close the door behind me and lock it. "I don't want to make them late for the game. It's supposed to start at eight."

"Well, good luck." I say, not giving him too much. "I will be waiting to see if I hear some good news, Mr. Reigns."

"You can call me Roman." He said to me with a warm tone in his voice.

"Then you can call me Cassandra." I tell him before walking away and looking back to see his eyes still on me.

When I walk outside, I smile seeing a familiar car parked in front of the entrance. A familiar man stood in front of the passenger side, standing at almost 7 feet tall and almost 300 pounds. To millions of people around the world, he's known as a legend. A phenom. Future hall of famer. The man who went 21 straight Wrestlemania's without losing a single one before taking his first 'Mania loss, but still managing to have one of the, if not, the most idolized and luxurious undefeated streaks in sports entertainment. The Undertaker. But to me, he's simply Mark Calaway. My dad.

"Daddy!" I exclaim, happily as I walk faster to reach him, careful to not drop anything in my hands. I walk into his arms without hesitation and feel him wrap me in them as he presses his lips against my head to kiss it.

"Hey, babygirl." He says in his deep voice as I rest my head on his chest and take in his scent.

I look up at him and see his green eyes and his neatly kept goatee. The crinkle in the corner of his eyes as he smiles at me before the deep chuckle he let out. "At 26, I didn't think you'd still be this happy to see your old man picking you up from school."

"I'm still your princess, so yeah." I say as I let out a soft laugh before resting my head on his chest again for a few moments before he helps me with my things so that I can get into his truck. "Dad, can we go out for a drive this weekend like we used to do?"

"You really want to?" He asks when he looks at me before pulling out of the parking lot.

I nod. "Yes. I miss it and we haven't done it in a long time."

"Of course, darlin'." My dad says with a smile. "How's work been going for you?"

"It's been going good. Did I mention that I talked to the new coach?" I asked him.

"You did? What's he like?" He asks.

I shrug. "So far, he seems like he's a nice guy. I have a lot of his players in my classes this semester and they all say good things about him. They really like him and so do a lot of the girls."

"He's good looking, I'm guessing?" My dad asks with a deep chuckle.

"I don't know." I say, not wanting to admit to my dad that I really did think he was the most attractive guy in school and making me sound like a teenager in high school all over again. His eyes that looked more grey today than it usually did, looking at me. His full lips and the way it formed so easily it seemed, into a smile and making my heart flutter.

"Cassy?" He asks. "You're an adult, it's okay to tell me that you find someone attractive. I won't hold it against you. I never did."

"I know. So yes, he's very pleasing to the eyes, but I don't know anything about him other than his name, what he looks like and that he's the new coach." I tell him. "And it turns out that he's also one of Dean's friends."

"I actually like Dean. I saw him the other day and he seems like he's in a good place right now." My dad says.

"He really is and I'm proud of him." I add, agreeing.

The next day came by and my dad picked me up before lunch and we went on a drive around Houston like we used to do when I was growing up after he would come home from being on the road. Over the last few years, he has had a part-time schedule with the WWE, but he manages to work Wrestlemania which is the biggest event of the year for them.

"Daddy, did I leave my bracelet at home?" I ask him as I look at my wrist and remembered that I haven't been able to find it. "The one with the white and blue charms. I can't find it in my apartment."

"I haven't seen it, but I'll check. You probably left in your room the last time you came over." He says. "You sure you can't find it at your place? Maybe you misplaced it."

"I probably did. I'll check again to make sure." I say as I play with my hair that I decided to let out today as I wore a thin strapped shirt underneath a red and black button down shirt that I left a few buttons open at the top on with dark blue jeans, my favorite riding boots that reach my calf with a light sweater and sunglasses. My dad wore a grey shirt with dark jeans and sneakers with a sweater and a hat.

I turned on the radio and smiled when one of our favorite songs came on. It was "Troubadour" by George Strait and so my dad turned the volume up a bit. He smiled as I made silly faces before I take out my phone and lean over to take a picture with him. I laugh softly when I see that he makes a silly face of his own as he keeps his eyes and his attention on the road. Even though I'm already an adult with a place of my own and taking care of my own responsibilities, my dad and I still have a good father/daughter relationship and we get along better than we ever have.

"How's Chasey, Gracie, and Kaia?" I ask, referring to my little sisters.

"They're doing really good." He says. "They miss you."

I smiled. "I miss them, too. Come over for dinner. You and the girls. Michelle, too. I really do like her."

"I know you do, baby." He tells me. "When would you like us to come?"

"How about tomorrow?" I ask.

My dad nods. "Sounds good. We'll be there."

 ***Roman's POV***

Sitting in my office after finishing some paperwork, I sit back in my black leather chair and look around. It wasn't big, but it was a comfortable size for me and rather cozy. I sat at a mahognay desk with four drawers and a large Apple computer resting on top of it with a wireless keyboard. To the corner, a few feet away was a bookshelf where I kept my attendance books, and things that were related to the team. By the window was a black leather couch which I liked to sit at and just look out the window sometimes. Something I found myself doing a lot of these last few months. I stand up and walk across the room to the window, not hearing my footsteps too much against the carpet and I look out the window at the miles of buildings and roads of Houston.

"Enjoying the view?" Said someone from behind. I turn around and see Cassandra standing by the door with a white shirt and and black jeans that clung to her legs with black riding boots and her hair out in waves. I've been wanting to see her beautiful green eyes for days that were now more blue than it was the last time I saw them. Full pink lips that formed that little smile of hers.

"I sure am." I mumble as I look at her before walking up to her as she walked into the room.

"You wanted to ask me something?" She asked as we stood in front of each other.

I clear my throat. "I just wanted to know if you'd like to go to lunch together. With me."

"To lunch?" She asks as she arches a neatly groomed eyebrow.

"Uh, just to get to know each other." I said to her. "Maybe with us starting over, we can be friends."

Cassandra nods. "That sounds good. We could go now, if you'd like. You know, now that you're on a 5 game winning streak and all."

"So you've been keeping track, huh?" I ask with a smile.

"Maybe." She says with a smile of her own. "We should get going."

I followed her before she took me to her car, remembering that she saw me being dropped off by Dean earlier today. Getting into her black Tahoe, I mentioned a small place that I knew of and had immediately loved since the first time I tried it when I first got here. It was a cozy little restaurant that also had seats on the outside covered by umbrellas. They had Spanish food as well as American food and so when we ordered, we both took a seat outside, at a brown, wooden table with wooden seats of the same color.

"So, where are you from?" I ask her, after a few moments of a bit of an awkward silence and hearing only the chatter of the other people there and the music that was playing.

"Born and raised here in Houston. But I went to Florida for college so I was there for a few years before coming back." Cassandra replied. "What about you?"

"I was born and raised in Pensacola, Florida and I went to Georgia Tech on a football scholarship." I replied. "What made you go to Florida for college?"

Cassandra shrugged. "I wanted to experience the college life, but I also wanted to experience being away from home without my parents. What made you go to Georgia other than your scholarship?"

"The same thing. I wanted something different to experience." I said to her. "Though I got homesick a few times throughout those four years. Coming from a big family, we were always close and I didn't have that in Georgia so it was a bit rough for me at times, but I managed."

"So what made you come to Texas, then?" She asked. "You're kind of far away from Florida."

The waiter bought our food and we began to dig in. "A lot of happened when I went back to Florida. It was just a string of bad luck after about two years of being back which lead to me deciding to come here. I wanted something new and refreshing. Somewhere I've never lived before and something just led me to come here. What about you?"

"I had my fair share of experience being away." She says as she drinks some soda. "After 7 years of being away from home, I wanted to be close to my family again. While I was in college, there was a lot of distance that got in between me and them, especially me and my dad. It killed me because I'm was so close to him and it took a while for us to rebuild our relationship. What do you like to do outside of school and football?"

"I don't have a lot of hobbies." I say. "I just drive around a lot and spend some time with Dean. I like to workout and listen to music. Not really that much of an interesting guy. What about you?"

Cassandra looked like she thought for a moment as she took a bite out of her food. "I love to read, I always have ever since I was little. There's just something about it that I love so much. It 's always been a way for me to go into my own little world and experience something different through another character no matter how different that life was from my own. I still love it. How does it feel to have won five games in a row now?"

"It feels pretty good." I say with a smile. "I'm hoping that this means that good is to come in the new season."

"I'm sure it will." Cassandra said as our eyes meet shortly afterwards before we break our gaze and finish our lunch.

When we got back to school about 30 minutes later, I found myself walking Cassandra to her classroom as we talked about our favorite music. I watched as she unlocked the door and opened it before going in after we thank each other for lunch. Putting her things down, she grabbed her lesson book from her bag and began writing on the board a few moments later.

"So does this mean that I have to leave when class starts?" I asked.

"Don't you have work to do, Mr. Reigns?" She asked with a smile after putting her marker down and walking towards me.

I looked down and smiled myself, before looking back up and putting my hands into my pockets. "Call me Roman. And I want us to get to know each other better."

"Maybe after school we can." Cassandra says.

"I don't know." I say.

She shrugs and turns around to go back to the board to finish writing. "Then maybe tomorrow we can go to lunch again."

"I didn't say 'no'." I tell her.

"And you didn't say 'yes' either." Cassandra says. "If you don't want to, that's fine. Just let me know what your decision is."

Cassandra finishes writing and puts her things down before straightening up the tables and then taking a seat in the front with her things. The bell rings and students start to fill the hallway before students start flowing into the classroom and taking their seats. Some of them greet me on their way in before greeting their English teacher and beginning to take notes of what's on the board. Our eyes meet again and they lock before one of the students got her attention, taking her attention away from me.

"I'll be ready after practice today." I whisper in her ear when I get close enough so that others won't hear after she finishes with her students. "Meet me then, by my office."

"See you then." She says quietly when she looks up at me. "Please bring up your homework. I'm about to start attendance."

"Coach, there's practice today?" Asked one of the guys.

"Yes. I'll be seeing you guys today, right?" I asked.

"We wanna win another game!" Exclaimed Shawn. A junior.

I chuckled as the classed cheered, remembering the five game winning streak that we now have. "And we will. But if you want to win, you have to come to practice, so I'll see you guys at practice."

 **A/N: What do you think about Roman's start on his first season as coach at Houston High? Will it get better in the new season? What about Roman and Cassandra on starting over? Are they off to a good start or do they still need more time? What about Cassandra and her dad? Do they seem like they have a good relationship with each other?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed on the previous chapter and to those that have put this story on their favorites and their alerts list!**

 **DISCLAIMER:** **I do NOT own WWE, NXT or any of the Superstars and Divas from either roster that may appear in this story. Names and locations are used for story purposes only.**

 ***Roman's POV*  
** It's the ending of the our final game for the football season and we're ending it with a 10 game winning streak. Some are calling it a great comeback, but unfortunately it wasn't enough to help the team get a championship game to end the season. In the locker room, the guys had just finished getting ready to leave when I called them together for one more talk before leaving.

"I wanted to say that I'm proud of every single one of you." I tell them. "I know that we won't be walking away with a trophy, but we're walking away as champions, nonetheless. We're ending the season with a 10 game winning streak which a lot of people thought we weren't going to be able to do this year because of how things were going for us. But here we are, showing that we made a comeback. Though it wasn't enough for a championship, we showed that we were indeed capable of winning. Don't put yourselves down, and don't get discouraged because of it. For those of you who are graduating this year, you want to play college ball? Then when you get there, show all of them why you deserve to be there. Show them why you deserve to be on that field in every game. Show them that they made a great decision at wanting you to play for them."

"How can we get back on the team for next season?" Asked one of the freshmen.

"As the months go on, more information will be given as to what needs to be done for the new season." I reply. "Remember though, keep your grades up regardless. I understand you want to focus on football, especially if it's something that you want to do as a career. But at the end of the day, your education is important too. You can't just put that aside to focus on sports only. I'm not trying to downplay athletes but remember that a sports career isn't always a promises long term career. Injuries can happen that can stop you from playing. So get an education."

We stayed talking for a few more minutes before we finally cleared the locker room and left. Having talks before and after the game has become a thing that we now do and the team likes it as well as myself. As I make my way outside, I see that Dean is waiting for me in his car and so I quickly walk over to him and got in the car after he congratulated me on the win.

"So how does it feel ending the season on a winning streak?" He asks as we make our way to a local restaurant.

"It feels damn good." I tell him with the biggest smile on my face. "I didn't think that I'd do this good in my first year here, but I managed to do it."

Dean smiled. "I'm not surprised. Coaching seems to come naturally for you."

We got to the restaurant and saw that there was a good amount of people there already, since a lot of them were coming from the game since the school was nearby. Getting in line, I heard a familiar voice nearby. Looking around, he saw a woman with long hair and a blue shirt with jeans and sneakers. A beige purse was hanging from her shoulder and she was standing in front of three girls who were clearly younger than she was. When she turned around, I immediately saw the green eyes that I liked to see.

"Hello." Said someone before I saw a hand waving in front of me. Blinking a few times, I realized it was only Dean and cleared my throat.

"Sorry, what were you saying?" I asked.

He looked at me. "I said, what do you want to eat?"

I looked at the menu and told him what I wanted before giving him the money to pay for what I ordered. I looked back and saw Cassandra holding the tray filled with food for her and the three girls she was with.

"Go say 'hi' to her." Dean said.

"Are those her kids?" I asked.

Dean looked and smiled. "No, she doesn't have any kids. You see her almost everyday at work, so I don't know why you can't talk to her now."

I look at him and walk up to her when she finds a table. "Cassandra?"

"Hey." She says with a smile when she looks up at me with eyes that look more green today than usual. "I heard about your win tonight. Congratulations!"

"Thank you." I said as we surprisingly shared a hug. I take in her scent and smell jasmine as my arms rest around her waist.

Our eyes meet when I look down at her and I didn't realize that I had kept my arms around her. It didn't matter at the moment as I looked into her eyes. We both cleared our throat when we pulled away and I watched as she sat back down and hooked her hair behind her ears. "These are my little sisters, by the way. Chasey, Gracie and Kaia. This is my friend, Roman."

"Hi." The two oldest girls said. I greeted them and couldn't help but smile at the youngest one as she shied away and gave a sweet little smile of her own before finally waving at me.

"She can be shy sometimes, so it's okay." Cassandra says. "Are you here by yourself?"

"No, I'm with Dean. He picked me up after the game. I'm just waiting for him to come with the food." I tell her. "Are you here with just your sisters?"

"Yes, it's just the four of us tonight." Cassandra says. "But it's some much needed sister time, right girls?"

They giggle and agree before beginning to eat their food as she gives them some napkins. Dean finally came with our tray. He and Cassandra greeted each other before he walked to a nearby table. I was about to follow him when my feet just unexpectedly turned me around to walk back to her.

"What's your favorite color?" I ask her.

"I really like blue. Maybe some pink and red." She says with a smile. "What's yours?"

"I like blue." I tell her. I walk away awkwardly to where Dean was sitting.

Dean rests his chin on top of his hands. "The hell was that?"

"I just wanted to know her favorite color." I said.

"I'm not talking about that. You just looked so awkward coming back." He says with a soft chuckle. "How long has it been since you've you talked to a girl before you met her?"

I let out a chuckle of my own. "I don't know. I just get nervous around her."

"I think you're starting to like her." He says.

I shake my head. "No I'm not. We're becoming really good friends and I like talking to her. It's easy to talk to her and have a conversation with her. It feels normal and easy. I don't have to force anything with her and I like that. You're the only other person that it's like that with for me. We've been spending more time together for the last two weeks, but only during lunch and break. Not everyday, but yeah."

"You said so yourself that you don't want people feeling bad for you because of what you've been through." He says. "Because you don't want them feeling bad for you."

"Yeah." I say softly before looking over at her as she eats and interacts with her little sisters.

We continue to eat for a few more minutes before either one of us speaks up. "I've been looking for apartments."

"Yeah? Have you found any that you're interested in?" Dean asks.

"I found a few that I really like and I'm close to getting one that I can really afford." I tell him. "It's just a one bedroom, but that's okay for now."

"That's good. Gonna miss me?" He says with a frown, but with a hint of a smile that I know he was trying to hide.

I chuckle and shake my head. "Are _you_ going to miss _me_?"

"I asked first." Dean says.

"And I'm asking you the same thing." I reply.

We then go back and forth for a literally a minute about the whole thing until we just end up laughing about it. That's something I love about our friendship. We have our arguments, of course. But at the end of the day, we're still like brothers.

 ***Cassandra's POV***

It's a Thursday morning and I make my way through the halls of Houston High to my classroom after clocking in. Getting into my classroom, I put my things down and start writing just the date and directions for a test that I would be giving to all of my classes today. I let out a sigh when I finish and take a seat after taking out my attendance book and getting up again to walk around as I drank some of my juice and ate my muffin.

"Good morning." Says a deep voice from behind. Looking back, I see a 6'3 Samoan with his hair pulled back into a neat bun as he wore a black shirt with grey sweat pants and sneakers. "Enjoying your breakfast?"

"Good morning and um...yeah I am." I say as I look down at my muffin and then at my juice that's nearby. "Sorry, I didn't have time to eat before I left my apartment so I just picked something up on the way hoping that I would have some time to enjoy it before my first class."

He gives me that smile of his that I've been growing to like. "That's okay. I did that this morning, but I ate in my car before I came in."

"You're pretty attached to that car." I tell him as he walks up to him and looks out the window.

"Yeah, well...I don't know." He says with a small smile as he shrugs and looks down.

I put the rest of my muffin away before taking a sip of my juice. "What is it?"

"Nothing. I just really like my car." He says.

I look over at him and see that he's now looking at me with his eyes that one could just melt in. "That's okay. I really like my car too."

We both laughed a bit before growing silent. "What made you want to be a teacher?" He asked.

"I always liked to teach. But the way I was growing up, one would never think that I would be a teacher." I tell him as I sit down by my desk.

"Why's that?" He asked as he sat across from me.

I shrug. "I was very shy growing up. At times, I was _painfully_ shy. Sometimes I would talk to someone and it would feel as if I'm talking to a room filled with people, especially if it was someone that I liked. My first reaction was always wanting to run and hide because of how nervous I would get from being so shy. As my sisters came along, I would always teach them how to read and tie their shoes and tell time and what not and it came naturally, teaching. It wasn't until one summer where I started doing Summer Youth because I wanted to try to save up some money on my own because I didn't like asking my parents for money. When it was time for me to choose what I wanted, all they had was daycamps and stuff like that. I would teach them what I would teach my sisters and it worked."

"Did that help you get over your shyness?" Roman asked.

"A little bit. What also helped a bit was that my dad would take me on the road with him during the summer as well." I told him. "When Summer Youth finished up for the summer, he would take me with him for a while and not only did that help us spend time together, but because he worked with so many people, slowly that helped, too. I would always be backstage, but I would constantly just cling on to him, even as I got older. Then again, I was and still am a daddy's little girl. But, I got over it. Though sometimes I can still be a bit shy."

Roman smiles at me. "I haven't seen a hint of shyness in you since we met. But I can the side of you that's nice and caring. The side of you that likes to help and teach."

"We have a lot more to learn about each other, then." I tell him.

"I actually agree with that." He says. "Maybe we can go to lunch together, today if nothing pops up throughout the day to keep us from that. How about lunch, everyday?"

I laugh softly. "Everyday, huh?"

"Yes. If you want to, I mean." Roman replies.

The bell rings, before I can say anything, indicating time for first period. I let out a soft sigh and look out into the hallway to see students walking around and talking as they make their way to their classes.

"We'll talk later." Roman said as he got up from his seat. "Hopefully, I can see you for lunch."

I gave him a smile as I rest my chin on my hand. "Go, I'll see you later."

The next few hours came and went and I found myself anxiously waiting for my lunch break to come around. There was that part of me that wanted to see Roman again and talk to him. Though I did have other co-workers as friends that I would usually talk to and eat lunch with, and still sometimes did, there was something about him that made me want more.

When lunch time finally did come around, I got my things together and left my classroom after locking the door behind me and made my way down to Roman's office. His door was open and when I looked in, he was looking out the window. Something that I've noticed he likes to do quite often, even when he's in my classroom before the students come in.

"Are you busy?" I ask, causing him to turn around.

"No, I was just enjoying the view." He says as his eyes linger at me as he softly smiles.

I slowly walk in with my purse over my shoulder and stop by his desk. "So does that lunch thing still stand?"

"Yes. Do you want it to?" He asks.

"Yeah. I'd like to go." I tell him before looking down.

When I look back up, his blue/grey eyes are already on me as our gazes meet and lock. After a few seconds, we took our eyes away from each other and cleared our throats.

"We should get going." Said Roman. "We don't want to be late coming back."

"Yeah, I agree." I said. "Though I'm sure my students would like not having a test today. Or any day of the week for that matter."

He chuckled. "What kid ever liked taking tests?"

"I never did." I admitted as we walked out of his office and made our way down the hallway.

"I didn't either. But I kind of liked school." He says. "Sometimes."

Smiling, I looked over at him. "Tell me something about yourself that you haven't told me."

"I'm half Samoan and half Italian." Roman says as we walk out of the building and into the parking lot to make our way to his car. "My dad's Samoan and my mom's Italian."

"That's a cool combination." I said. "I'm Irish and Native American."

"Was you hair always that long?" Roman asks.

I nod. "Yup. There was this one time though where I cut it up to my shoulders because I wanted to try something a bit new with my hair, but I just let it grow out again because I missed having long hair."

"I've grown used to having long hair, so I get it." He says as he chuckles. "Would you ever cut it again?" He asks as he pulls out of the parking.

"I'll trim it, but I don't know if I'll ever cut it further than that." I reply. "Would you ever cut yours?"

Roman thinks for a moment. "Probably not. I actually like having my hair this long. It took me a while to grow it out."

"I like it on you." I admitted. "It suits you."

"Thanks." He says softly with a smile. There was a silence that fills the air in the car until we get to where we were going to eat.

Deciding that we wanted to be alone for lunch, we decided to go through the drive through and eat in the car after we got our food. With silence still in the air, I found myself with thoughts invading my mind again.

"What was it like growing up in Florida?" I asked him.

"It was pretty good. I grew up with a lot of family." He says. "I grew up with my twin cousins, Jimmy and Jey and we were like brothers. Always together. We still are like brothers."

I gave him a small smile when he looked over at me. "Any brothers or sisters?"

"I have an older brother and an older sister." Roman tells me. "You have any more brothers or sisters?"

"I have an older brother and then my three little sisters." I say. "That's about it."

He nodded as he took a sip of his drink before putting it back in the cup holder that was given with the drinks that we ordered. "What's your relationship status? Are you single, or what?"

"Single. What about you?" I ask.

"The same. I haven't been in a relationship in a while." Roman tells me. "It's hard finding that one person that could be good for you."

I finish up my food and nod in agreement. "Tell me about it. It's so hard finding a person who gets you and who won't judge you. Someone who accepts who you are and who loves you anyways."

"Exactly. I don't understand why it's so hard to find someone like that." He agrees. "My last girlfriend...I don't know. She just made me believe that there was a possible future for the two of us."

"What made it not work out?" I ask, cautiously. I've realized how hesitant he's been about going to much into his past, but I wanted him to know that he could trust me and that I could be someone that he could talk to.

"After a while, we just couldn't get along for anything." He tells me. "We would always end up arguing about something, even when we tried our best to get along. Something would always make us fight, just when you thought the day was going to go good. It got to the point where we couldn't even be in the same room together because we would just end up on bad terms. There were a lot of sleepless nights because I would end up on the couch. It was like, everything we did just annoyed the hell out of us. The time came where we just decided that it would be best if we just ended things"

Looking over at him, I take a good look at his eyes and I see something. "You want to be happy."

"Yeah and don't get me wrong, I am and I'm okay with being single and I've grown to be happy and content with being single. But sometimes I just want someone to share a life with." Roman says looking over at me.

"You'll find someone." I say, wanting to comfort him.

"Maybe." He whispers.

A few minutes later, we started to make our way back to school for the rest of the afternoon. It wasn't until the day was over that I saw him again, standing by the door. I didn't even hear him until he knocked on the door.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked as he walked in, holding his bag over his shoulder signaling that he was about to leave for the day.

"Nothing." I say as I quickly finish putting my things away. "Just have a few things on my mind."

He stands in front of me and rests his forearms on the table that I use as my desk. "Something I can help you with?'

"I don't know. Are you willing to help?" I ask with a smile.

"If you let me." He says with a wicked smile that made my heart skip a beat as my face warmed up.

Roman takes the piece of paper that was in front of him and takes out a pen to write something on it. Handing it back to me, I see that it's a phone number.

"That's my number." He says before taking the paper back and writing his name on top.

"The coach is giving me his number?" I ask with a smile before taking a piece of that paper and writing something on it and handing it to him. "There's my number."

I see him take out his phone and put in my number as I do the same when he finishes. Roman looks up at me when I'm done and quickly looks down again after our eyes meet for a few seconds.

"So, Cassandra." He starts saying as I grab my things and begin walking towards the door. "Now that I have your number, can I text you later?"

"Do you want to?" I ask with a smile wanting to form on my face as we quickly made our way to the parking lot, though we ended up taking our time once we did.

"Yes. Is it okay with you?" He asks.

I look over at him and see him shyly looking ahead of him, which made him look so adorable. Who would imagine that a 6'3 badass looking guy would be all shy about something.

"I'd like that." I tell him, seeing a smile grow on his face.

"Cool, so we'll talk later then." Roman says as we reach my car before remembering that his was only a few feet away.

I give him a smile. "We'll talk later."

Our eyes lock before I reluctantly look away and unlock the door to my car. We talk for a few more minutes before we finally went our separate ways. Once I got in my car and turned it on, I realized how my heart was racing as well as the feelings that I had going on inside. I couldn't explain what these feelings were, but I knew it was something. Going home, I cleaned up a bit and started dinner just as my phone rang. Looking at the screen, I see that it's Roman and I can instantly feel the butterflies in my stomach.

"Hey, Roman." I say when I answer.

"Hey, how are you?" He asks.

I can hear the nervousness in his voice and I can't help but smile for some reason. "I'm good, just started making some dinner. You?"

"I'm pretty good. Making some dinner, too." Roman replies before silence came from both ends. "I know I said I asked if I could text you, but I wanted to hear your voice."

"You like hearing my voice?" I ask as I bite my lip. I instantly felt as if I was asking a stupid question and for that, I was mentally groaning.

"Yes. Why am I so nervous talking to you all of a sudden?" He surprisingly asks.

I played with my hair that was in a ponytail, as I smile before quickly checking the food. "I don't know. I didn't realize I was doing anything different."

"You're being you. But that doesn't stop me from being nervous." Roman tells me softly. "I like how you are."

"Yeah?" I find myself asking, in a whisper.

"Yeah." He replies.

 **A/N: Are you glad that Roman ended his first season at Houston High on a winning streak even though they weren't able to get a championship? Do you like the little talks that he has with the team before and after the games? Do you think that's been part of what has helped them with their games? What about Cassandra and Roman spending more time together and getting each other's phone numbers? Why exactly do you think it is that he feels nervous with her?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed on the previous chapter and to those who have put this story on their favorites and alerts!**

 ***Cassandra's POV*  
** Kaitlyn and I got out of the car after she parked it in the parking lot of one of our favorite places to go to. It was a Saturday afternoon and a cloudy one. It has been rainning on and off all week, but when it did rain, there were countless areas getting flooded because of the excessive rain that poured down. Today wasn't any different with the rain being on and off. Looking ahead, I see a familiar figure walking towards the entrance and I knew who it was.

Wearing a black shirt with jeans and what looked like black sneakers, Roman walked by himself as he occasionally walked around with an umbrella in his hand. Finding myself wanting to walk a little faster, thunder began to fill the skies. Kaitlyn hooked her arm through mine as we picked up speed to get inside as a breeze began to kick in.

When we got inside, we went to the shortest line there, only to see that Roman was right in front of us. His long, raven black hair, was in a bun and though it was neat, there was still a strand of hair that stood out. Seeing him hook that strand of hair behind his ear, I gently poked him on the shoulder. He turned around and smiled, giving me butterflies. How is it that a simple smile from this man could make me feel like this?

"Hey Cassandra." Roman says as he share a hug.

"Hi." I say as his scent fills my nostrils when I breath it in. "This is my friend, Kaitlyn. This is Roman. The new coach I've told you about."

They greeted each other before the line moved up and it was time for him to give his order. Kaitlyn and I gave ours a few moments later and paid the girl before stepping aside to where he was to wait for our food.

"How long have the two of you been friends?" Roman asked.

"For a few years. We met when we were both still in Florida." Kaitlyn said. "And then we came back here to Texas."

"You're from here, too?" He asks.

She nods. "From Houston. That's one of the first things Cassandra and I bonded over."

Roman takes his food when the girl calls his number while Kaitlyn and I are given our food a few moments later. Getting a few napkins and straws, we find a table that was near Roman's and we take our seat.

"You okay, Cass?" Kaitlyn asks me when we do.

"Yeah, why?" I ask.

"You look a little flushed." She replies with a smile.

I feel my cheeks warm up a bit, knowing why it probably was. "No, I'm not. It's just a bit warm in here."

"You like Roman, don't you?" She asks as she takes a bite out of her fries.

"No, we're just friends." I tell her.

"Yes, but he's all you talk about." She says as she takes another bite. "The only guy you seem to talk about these days, is Roman. But I like him. He seems like a good guy, so far."

I begin eating my food as I look over at him and see that he's eating and looking around before looking through his phone. I look back down before I feel a pair of eyes on me and when I look to see, it was Roman who's eyes lingered on me when they met with mine. Hooking my hair behind my ears, I feel myself growing warm again before seeing him walk towards us with the corner of my eye.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but is it okay if I sit here?" Asked Roman, referring to a seat that was next to me.

"Yeah, sure. You can sit." Said Kaitlyn as I just agreed and gave him a smile. Just as he did and took another bite of his food, her phone rang and she excused herself to answer it.

"So you talk about me to your friends?" Roman asks me.

I look over at him and feel my face warm up as he gives me that little smile of his, but I played it cool even though that smile caused my heart to skip a beat. "I was just telling her that we had a new coach for the football team, is all. That you're a good coach and a good person."

"Don't worry, I'm not going to make you feel embarrased or anything like that. I'm not that kind of a person." He tells me softly so that only I can ehar him. "I find myself talking about you, too. But sometimes I can't stop myself once I get on a roll."

"All good, I hope. What you say about me." I tell him.

Roman nods. "How can it be anything bad? You make me nervous, remember?"

"How do I make you nervous?" I ask him.

"I can show you better than I can tell you." He says, making my stomach become swarmed with butterflies and sent my heart pounding into my throat when he added that wicked smile.

"And how will you do that?" I ask. But before he could say anything else, Kaitlyn came back and took her seat to finish her food.

She looked at the two of us as we began eating again, realizing that we really hadn't eaten much in the time frame that she was gone. My best friend gave me a knowing look and I knew that she would want to hear what all happened later when he wasn't around. I felt like I used to years ago when I would get extremely nervous and it felt like I would be talking to a crowd full of people when it was only a small amount of people around you. As if my first instinct was to hide and be by myself instead of being around people.

As soon as we were all done and about to leave, we walk outside to see that it was beginning to rain. I heard Roman say my name and looked at him to see that look, as if he wanted to say something.

"I just wanted to know if you wanted to uh...hang out with tomorrow. With me." He said as we walked.

"I'd like that." I say with a smile, and seeing him relax a bit. "What are we going to do?"

He thought for a moment as we got to his car. I stayed behind a bit, letting Kaitlyn walk ahead as Roman and I both stood under our umbrellas.

"I was thinking about maybe we could go to the movies. I know that probably doesn't sound like the most interesting thing to do, but it's been a long time since I've done that. And I thought it could give us an opportunity to spend time together without having to worry about being somewhere at a certain time and having a bit of privacy." Roman says to me. "Don't get me wrong, I don't mind Dean being there or Kaitlyn because she seems like a really good person and I can totally see why the two of you get along so well. I just wanted it to be the two of us for a bit."

"I actually like going to the movies, so I'd be fine with that." I say with a smile as I looked into his eyes and saw how how the color grey dominated them today.

Roman gives me that smile of relief. "Cool. Just text me your address and I'll let you know what time I'll pick you up."

"I'll do that." I tell him before touching his arm and feeling the electricity that is sent through my arm and down my spine. I slowly pull away before looking down and biting my lip. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

"See you tomorrow." He says as I walk away. I look back to see him smile before he gets to his car.

I reach Kaitlyn who was patiently waiting for me a few feet away and a smile grew on her face. "So you and the coach, huh?"

"That totally sounded like something my students would say." I say, laughing softly as the rain begins to pick up strength. "But, he just asked me to hang out with him tomorrow. We're going to go to the movies. I just have to give him my address."

"Is this a date?" She asks, with that little smile on her face.

I let out a playful sigh as we get in the car. "No, it's just two friends hanging out. That's all."

"Whatever you say." Kaitlyn says with that look on her face.

'Yup, that's exactly what it is." I say. If only I can tell that to my heart so that it can stop beating so fast, nearly making it's way up my throat because of him.

 ***Roman's POV***

I was on my way to pick up Cassandra from her place and I found myself looking forward to seeing her. I had on a white, button up shirt with jeans and white sneakers. My hair was slicked back into a neat bun and I put on my best cologne. It wasn't a date, but I still wanted to look nice for her.

Getting to her apartment complex, I parked next to her car and walked up the stairs to her apartment that was on the second floor. It wasn't too far away from the large pool that was in the middle of the entire complex. After knocking, the door opened and my breath caught in my throat. Cassandra stood in front of me with a light pink shirt and light blue jeans with boots with sneakers as her long hair cascading down her back in soft waves. Her green eyes with a strong hint of blue in them tonight as her pink lips shined.

"Hi." She says with a smile as she steps aside to let me in.

"Hey." I manage to let out as we share a hug when I walk in. I couldn't help but notice the way she easily fit in my arms as they wrap around her waist. Taking in her scent, I close my eyes as I smell jasmine with a hint of vanilla as well as coconut from her hair.

Pulling away, I see a hint of pink on her cheeks and I smile before closing the door. Looking around her apartment, it was definitely a little bigger than the one bedroom apartment that I had just moved into and a bit more cozy with more furniture and pictures of friends and family.

"How are you?" I asked as we stood in her living room.

"I'm good and you?" She asks.

I nod as my eyes linger on her. She just looked beautiful tonight as she always did. "I'm doing pretty good."

Cassandra smiled as she played with her fingers and looked down. "I'll just get my purse and we could go."

"Okay." I say as I watch her walk to her room and come back out a few moments later with her purse hanging from her shoulder. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah, let's go." She replies before I let her take the lead.

Once we get downstairs, we walk side by side to my car and when we did, I open the door for her and helped her get in before getting to the drivers side and turning the car on when I got in. A few minutes later we had left her place and had gotten on the road. It wasn't long until we get to the movie theaters and make our way inside to see onf oe of the new movies that had come out recently. After getting out tickets, we make our way upstairs to where the concession stands are and a few games.

"I wanna try that racing game with the motorcyle." Cassandra says in an excited voice as she looks in the direction of the games. "Let's go try it."

I chuckle when she goes without me saying anything, yet I find myself walking behind her, trying to catch up to her. Seeing that we needed coins to play it, she turns around and goes to where we could change dollar bills for the coins. Cassandra puts in a dollar and I put in another and the sound of coins fill the air a few moments later.

Watching her get on one motorcycle, I get on the second one and we both reach to put in the coins and choose a two player option. Picking what we wanted, it was time to start the race and Cassandra was as adorable as could be, with the look on her face. The race started and she was already ahead of me by two spots. As much as I tried to speed up, she always found a way to speed up even more and get ahead. It wasn't long before we both crossed the finish line with her in 1st place.

"You've played this game before haven't you?" I ask, causing her to laugh softly.

"A few times. But my dad also likes motorcyles and I've seen him driving it a lot when I was growing up. It wasn't until the year that I turned 18 that he let me ride with him for the first time." She says.

"Nice." I say as we started walking around again. "I've never rode on a motorcyle before. Does he still let you ride with him?"

"Sometimes." She tells me. "I love those moments with my dad. It's just me and him and our little drives whether it be on his bike or in his truck or my car. More so in his truck. We just drive around and around, not really having any specific place that we want to go."

We then got on line and ordered nachos and popcorn with two drinks when it was our turn to order. As we were waiting, we looked at each other and smiled before looking away.

"Are you still nervous around me?" She asks me softly.

"Maybe." I saw with a soft smile. "Should I be?"

Cassandra's lips form a beautiful smile on her face. "Maybe. Should I be worried?"

"No, there's no need to worry at all." I say to her, seeing the smile threatning to show on her lips. I placed my hand on the side of her face and stroked her cheek with my thumb as our gaze locked and we forgot where we were. Just then, the guy that took our order gave us our food with our sodas, making me clear my throat a bit as we grabbed our things after I drop my hand from her face. "Thank you."

 _ **Three hours later...**_

"Thank you for tonight. I had a good time." Says Cassandra when I walk her to her apartment.

"Anytime. I had a good time, too." I tell her as I shove my hands into my pockets. "I should head home. It's getting late."

We both look at the time to see that it was almost 11:30 at night and we both had work in the morning.

"Oh, yeah. We...work. Tomorrow." Cassandra says with what sounded like some dissapointment in her voice as she turned to her open her door. "I'll see you tomorrow, then. Thank you again for tonight."

"Cassandra?" I ask right as she walks in. When she turns around, I can't get the courage to say anything else. "Goodnight."

She gives me a small smile as something flashes across her eyes, though I wasn't sure what it was. "Goodnight."

Seeing the door close, I let out a sigh and lean against the wall that was nearby. I groan as I put my head in my hands before going down the stairs and getting in my car. I make my way home, where I end up not being able to sleep because of all the thoughts running through my mind.

The next day, after school, I go pick up Dean from work and it was a day without seeing Cassandra. For some reason, I was aching for her. I wanted to see her and hear her voice. I wanted to smell the jasmine on her that she leaves behind when she walks by or when she's close enough for you to catch her scent. To see the beautiful green eyes that I find a level of comfort in.

"So, you never told me how yesterday went on your date with Cassandra." Dean says as I begin to drive after he gets in and puts on his seat belt.

"It wasn't a date. And nothing happened. We just went to the movies, played a game and grabbed a bite to eat after the movie." I tell him. "We had a good time though. We talked about anything and everything all at the same time. I took her home and it kind of ended on an I don't know kind of thing."

Though I kept my eyes on the road, I could tell that Dean's eyes were on me. "What does that mean?"

"It means, I didn't make a move for anything more." I say. "We both admitted that we had a great time that night. We enjoyed it. But I suddenly said that I had to go because it was getting late."

"Are you serious?" He asks. "You can't be serious, Roman."

I let out a long sigh. "I wish I wasn't."

"Have you talked to her since?" He asks.

"No. I texted her but she didn't reply and she always does." I say with disappointment. "I have to try anyways. I want to talk to her. I need to."

I park the car when we get to his apartment complex and I just look out the window when I turn my car off.

"Hey, I'm sure Cassandra will talk to you soon." Dean says. "It may not be right now, but she'll talk to you. I'm sure of it."

"What's your opinion on her?" I ask as we get out of the car and go to his apartment.

"When it comes to what?" He asks.

I let him go inside first as he opens his door and I close it behind me before he takes me to his kitchen. "Relationships. Emotions. Stuff like that. I know, it probably sounds weird, but yeah."

"Cassandra knows what she wants. That's fact, but it's a good quality in her." Dean says, taking out two beers and handing me one. "She seems to be on the private side and keeps her heart protected. She's a sweetheart though. I've been through enough in my life to know for a fact that Cassandra's the type of woman who will care for whomever she's in a relationship with. Look at how she is with her friends, so imagine in a relationship. Cassandra's happy with the way that she is and so someone who likes how she is and how she is as well as someone who's very accepting of it, great. Besides, you like her."

"Dean, I told you, we're just friends." I say to him.

He drinks some of his beer. "I know and I'm not denying that the two of you are friends. I'm glad that you're friends with each other. I'm just saying."

I give him a look before I take another drink of my beer. We continued to talk for a while longer before I decided to go back to my apartment.

 **A/N: Do you think that Roman and Cassandra hanging was really a date or something that was just between two friends? Why did Roman end the night with Cassandra the way that he did? Is she trying to avoid him by not replying to his messages? Will Roman try to make things right?**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed on the previous chapter and to everyone who's put this story on their favorites and alerts!**

 ***Roman's POV***

By the end of the week, I'm at school and all I could think about is Cassandra. It's now after 4 and all of the students are gone for the day and ready to enjoy their weekend. I gather my things and clock out before finding myself looking for her. I passed by her classroom and saw that the door was closed and the lights were off. I quickly make my way to the entrance and see her walking towards the door.

"Cassandra." I say loud enough for her to hear. She stops and turns around to see me. "Hey, how are you?"

"I'm good." She simply replies. "You?"

"I'm okay." I say before silence fills the air between us. "Um, I first wanted to say that I'm sorry for how I ended the night on Sunday when I took you back home. That's not how I wanted the night to end. And you haven't replied to any of my texts, so I was wondering if you were okay."

Her green eyes soften before she looks down at the floor and then back up at me. "I'm okay. I just had a lot on my mind. Why'd you end it the way you did?"

"I...I don't know." I say, though I knew exactly why after thinking about it the last few days.

"Roman, I have to go." She says right before she turns around.

"No, wait. Please don't go. Not yet." I tell her, watching her walk away. It brings back painful memories for me, and it scared me. "Just, please let me talk to you. I understand if you can't talk right now at this moment, but we can talk later or tomorrow or something?"

A few moments pass before I see her shoes. Looking up, I see her standing in front of me with her beautiful green eyes. "We'll talk about it tomorrow. We'll go to lunch and have some time to just talk, the two of us. No having to worry about having to be back on time and no need to rush to get anywhere or about others needing our attention."

"We can do that." I say, agreeing. "I would really like that. I'll pick you up tomorrow at 12 and we'll go."

"That sounds good." She says. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay. Have a good evening." I tell her.

"You, too." Cassandra replies before walking out. I let out a sigh and make my way out as well to get to my car.

The next day came by quicker than I had expected it too, but I was glad that it did. I was being given a chance to talk to her and it was something that I had to do. Hopefully, things would go well and we can see what happens from then.

Getting out of my car, I go up the stairs in a black shirt with jeans and sneakers as my hair is put up into a bun. I knock on the door and the door opens a few moments later with Cassandra standing on the other side of the door with a blue shirt and jeans with flats. Her long hair in a braid and her beautiful green eyes staring back at me.

"Hi." She says with that beautiful smile of hers.

"Hey." I say with a smile of my own as I walk in when she steps aside. "How are you?"

"I'm good and you?" She asks.

Feeling my stomach turning, I almost choke on my words. "I'm good. You look pretty today."

"Thank you." Cassandra says with the sweetest smile I've ever seen.

"I mean you always look pretty. Beautiful, actually. I just never told you until now. You look beautiful today, too." I say, but stopping myself when I felt like I was looking crazy.

She walks up to me and smiles as her cheeks turn a shade of pink. "Thank you."

Our eyes lock and the world stops for that moment in time before I hesitantly pull my eyes away. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, let me just get my purse." She says before walking away and to her room. Cassandra comes back out and turns off the light to her room as she does before checking a few other things. I open the door and let her go first, eventually opening the door for her when we get to my car.

The ride was done in silence that was comfortable. Our hands touched a few times along the way and sent electric shocks through me, making me wonder if she felt it, too. When we got to the restaurant, I parked the car and ended up walking side by side with Cassandra. After getting a table, we looked through the menu in another round of silence before the waitress came to take our orders. When she left, I cleared my throat and drank some of the water that was bought to our table along with the drinks that we had ordered.

"You've been pretty quiet." I say softly.

"Well, you have been, too." She replies. "Are you okay?"

I nod. "Yeah, I am. I just want us to be on good terms."

"I thought we were already on good terms." Cassandra tells me.

"I know, it's just that after how Sunday night was ended, I wanted to make sure that we were." I say. Closing my eyes, I tried to make sense of what was in my head. "Damn it, I know why I'm nervous around you. And I know why I ended Sunday the way that I did. I just don't know how to tell you."

"Is it something that you think I won't understand?" She asks.

I think for a moment. "No, it's not that. I'm just worried that you may not feel the same way that I do. Uh, I..."

The waitress brings our food before I could say anything else. We thank her and begin to eat before either one of us say anything else.

"Roman, what is it?" Cassandra asks me softly. I look into her eyes and see that she genuinely cares about what I have to say.

"I like you, Cassandra. I like you a lot." I tell her. "I didn't know I was going to like you this much, let alone the way that I do. Don't get me wrong, I find nothing wrong with liking you the way that I do. But it's been so long since I've had any feelings for someone that now since I do...okay this is probably not making any sense but do you get what I'm trying to say?"

I couldn't read the look on Cassandra's face and it was killing me as she took her time to say anything about what I had just said.

"You really like me?" She asks.

"Yeah." I say, looking down at my food and playing with it a bit before taking another bite without saying anything else. "I may not always be the easiest person sometimes when it comes to my emotions because of how private I tend to be when it comes to them. I don't exactly wear my heart on my sleeve."

"Is that why for what happened last time?" Cassandra asks softly.

I nod. "Yeah."

"Hey." She softly says. I feel her hand gently rest on my face. "I like you, too."

"Really?" I asked out loud.

Cassandra smiles. "Good thing we have the rest of today and tomorrow to ourselves, huh?" Cassandra asks.

"Can I take you out on a proper date?" I ask. "Tomorrow for dinner."

"I'd like that." She replies with a smile.

 ***Cassandra's POV***

I dressed in light pink skinny jeans with black flats as I wore a blue, button up denim shirt with long sleeves and a white, spaghetti strapped shirt underneath. I looked in the mirror and saw my long hair in soft waves as it cascaded down my back and out of the way to show a gold necklace that I had of a cross with a gold bracelet on my wrist while my curves showed throughout.

Hearing someone at the door, I gave myself one last look over and unbuttoned the first three buttons of my shirt, showing a bit of the white shirt underneath. I look at my freshly manicured nails and quickly go to open the door after putting on some perfume.

Feeling my breath catch in my throat, I see Roman standing on the other side of the door wearing a white, short sleeve shirt with a few buttons at the very top that he left unbuttoned and his tribal sleeve tattoo showing. Jeans all the way down to his black dress shoes with his hair slicked back into a neat bun. A smile appears on his clean shaven face as he walks in and gives me a hug. I close my eyes as I happily take in his scent.

"You look beautiful." He says in my ear. I feel my face grow warm before I look up at him.

"Thank you. You look pretty handsome." I say as he strokes my cheek.

"I'm ready to go if you are." I say to him.

"I've been ready since yesterday." He quickly replies.

I let a giggle slip from my lips before going to my room and getting my purse and making sure I looked fine. Walking back out to him, I noticed his eyes lingering at me as he stood there with his hands in his pockets. A smile grows on my face as I suddenly get shy, but I try to push it aside. We leave my apartment and go to his car before leaving a few moments later.

"I was thinking, I remember you saying that you liked to go out on drives, especially with your dad." Said Roman as he kept his eyes on the road. "So, I was thinking that maybe after dinner, we could go for a ride. We could just drive around and talk. Unless you want to do something else, I don't mind."

"No, that's perfect, actually." I say with a smile. "You remembered."

Roman gives a shy smile and I just give one of my own at how cute he looked. When we got to the restaurant, I smile seeing that it was a 50's inspired diner. We walk inside and we see checkered floors with booths and tables as well as seats by the front, facing the kitchen where you could see the cooks. The waitresses and waiters were on skates as they passed us by. We grabbed a table as well as two menu's that one of the waitresses gave us and asked for what we would like to drink. She came back a few minutes later with our drinks and took our orders.

"Now that we're here, and we know how we feel about each other, what happens now?" He asks.

"I want to give us a try and see where it goes." I say as I play with my fingers. "What about you?"

"I would like to give us a try, too." He says. "What do you want as far as a relationship goes?"

I thought for a moment as the waitress bought us our food. "I want something long-term. I don't want to get myself into a relationship that's only going to last a few weeks or a few months. A relationship with someone that could become my best friend and someone that I could build a future a with."

"I want the same, but after my last relationship, I'm being careful." He tells me. "My last relationship ended on bad terms and though I've moved on and I've gotten over it, the memories of how bad it got are taking a bit longer to go away. It's been almost two years since my last relationship and I'm ready for a new relationship."

"I sometimes like empty bookstores and rainy days and thunderstorms." I find myself saying after taking a bite of my food. "I grew up in a way that some people would look at as privileged. But I also like the simple things too. I don't need all of the materialistic things in the world to make me happy or to make me care for someone."

Roman smiles at me as his eyes gaze into mine. "What about if someone's been homeless before?"

"Why would someone being homeless or having experienced that in the past, change how I feel about that person?" I ask. "As long as I see that you're doing your best to change your life for the better. That you want to have a better life yourself. I'm not going to judge someone because they've been homeless. Would you?"

"No." He replies as he eats. "They're regular people just like us. They each have their own story and a story of how they got there. Just because we have something that they don't, doesn't mean that we have a right to judge them and look down on them because of the situation that they're in."

I smile at him. "You should come help me one day in the soup kitchen that I go to."

"You think they'd let me help out?" Roman asks. "Or at least be there?"

"Yeah. You look like you'd be really good at helping out. There's a good number of people in need that stop by for something as simple as getting something to eat." I say. "I was thinking about going this Friday coming up for the dinner portion."

"Can we go together?" Roman asks.

"Of course. I was going to go home first and put my things down and then go like I always do when I go after work. Do you want me to pick you up?" I ask.

He gives me that little smile of his that I really like. "Yeah. I'll give you my address. Just let me know what time to be ready."

"I'll do that." I say with a smile of my own. In that moment, it was as if everything around us slowed down and it was just the two of us. I was becoming that shy me again that I used to be when I was growing up and it became hard during those moments to really come out of my shell. Then again, that shyness never really went away so I still have some hard moments.

I reluctantly looked away and resumed eating as he did the same. After we finished, we ordered two milkshakes before finally leaving and going out for a drive. Our hands occasionally touched until he hooked a few of his fingers with mine.

"What do you like about going out for a drive?" Roman asks.

"I don't know." I say with a shrug. "There's just something about it that I like. I don't know how to explain it, but I really like it. I've liked it since I was a little girl and it just stuck with me. Being in the car, filling the tank with gas and just driving and finding a way to make an adventure out of it. Turning on the radio and listening to music and singing along to favorite songs until we were too tired to keep singing. Don't you like it, too?"

"I do, but I never looked at it like that. Trying to make it into an adventure and finding the most fun in it that we could." Roman says. "Don't get me wrong, I had my share of fun in the car with my brothers and sisters in the back. As we got older though, it stopped becoming as fun as what it would be."

I looked over at him and saw his eyes focused on the road. Roman looked relaxed and when I started to gently trace his tribal tattoo with my free hand, he didn't move his arm away.

"How long did it take for the tattoo?" I ask softly.

"It took me a good while for the whole piece." Roman replies. "I first started with the shoulder and some of my chest and then I did the rest of my arm and finished up what I already had on my chest, so I was literally at the tattoo parlor for a good day or two to finish up the remainder of it. I love it though."

"I like it too. It looks so cool." I say as I continue to run my fingers over it.

Before we knew it, we had made our way back to my apartment complex after talking and laughing the night away. Going up the stairs, I turned around to face him when we got to my door.

"I had a good time tonight." I say to him.

"Me too." He says as he steps closer to me, making my heart beat a little faster. "I'd really like to do this again."

I smile. "I'd like to as well."

"Do you take kisses on the first date?" He asked.

"Yes." I say.

Roman rests his hands on my waist and slightly bends down. I lean up and just as our lips were about to meet, we hear a door opening. Looking to the side, it was my neighbor who was going to throw something out in the trash that was downstairs. It was a woman who lived there with her husband and he wasn't too far behind. I had met her when I first moved into this apartment complex and they had been so kind to me since.

"Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell." I say to them with a smile.

"Good evening, Cassandra." They say with a knowing smile, making me blush.

When they closed their door, I turned my attention back to Roman. "I'm sorry."

"No, that's okay." He says with a soft chuckle. "I had a good time tonight."

"I did, too." I say with a smile. "So what does this mean for us?"

Roman looked into my eyes. "Will you go out on another date with me next Saturday?"

"I'd like to." I reply, hoping he would have kissed me in the process.

"Great." He says with a big smile. "I'll see you tomorrow."

I nod. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Opening my door, I go inside and look back to see him giving me that smile of his. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Cassandra." Says Roman before I give him one last smile and closing my door.

I lean against the wall and I happily let out a sigh as I play with my hair. After our admission to each other about our feelings, and now tonight and an official date for next weekend, it's as if a weight has been lifted off our shoulders in a way. I couldn't wait for the rest of the week, where I would see him everyday and hopefully be able to have some time with him.

 **A/N: Now that they know each other's feelings, what will happen now? Was this date the first step towards something more? What about Cassandra inviting him to go to the soup kitchen that she helps out in? Do you think he'll be able to relate to some of the people there with his past experience before meeting her? What was it about Cassandra walking a way that bought back painful memories for him?**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed and to everyone who put this story on their favorites and alerts!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own WWE, NXT or any of the Superstars and Divas from either roster that may appear in this story. Names and locations are used for story purposes only.**

 ***Cassandra's POV***

I sat in class getting the attendance sheet out as the students slowly made their way into class. I smiled and greeted them as they walked in. Today was not a great day for me at all and it was just one of those days where I just wanted to be alone, making the introverted side of me come out. One of my good friends that works here at school as a music teacher walked in and gave me a hug with a smile.

"How are you feeling?" Asked Samantha. She had brown hair with rich brown eyes and was about an inch or two shorter than me. Light freckles appeared on her face near and around her button nose and her usually pink lips shined with her lip gloss.

"I'm okay. It's just one of those days." I say as I get up and walk with her to the door as some of the student greet her as they walk in. I feel my finger playing with my pen as I look around while I stand at the door. "How was your day so far?"

"It's been good. The normal day for us teachers here." She replies. She had moved here from South Carolina around the same time that Kaitlyn and I had moved back here from Florida and so we met her at the same time. Samantha lives in the same apartment complex as me, but on the second floor of the building that was next to mine. "How's your dad?"

"My dad's good." I say with a smile. "He's working today with my mom on that The Zues Compton Calaway Save The Animals fund that they have at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences."

"I'm glad your parents still get along even though they're divorced." She said.

I smile. "I know and I'm very happy that they do. I'm still close to both of them. I love my dad's wife though. She's really nice, treats him good and she makes him happy. So does my mom's husband."

We talked for a few more minutes before I walked back into my classroom after the late bell rang and closed the door.

"Pass up your homework." I tell the class as I go to my desk and make sure that the television that was in the classroom was set up for the movie that we were watching this week that would be turned into a project, before taking attendance.

My mind went to Roman and a smile slowly crept on my face that I was trying to hide as I went to turn off the lights. Going back to my desk, I started checking the homework that was turned in as the movie started while putting my attention to the movie. The last two days since our first date has been really good between us and I wanted more. We spend almost all the time talking whether in person or on the phone. I felt like I was in high school all over again, having a crush on someone and feeling all giddy about it.

Later that day, after I was done with grading everything and putting my things in order, I got my things together and clocked out. I found myself going to Roman's office where I found him getting his things together as well.

"Hi." I say softly, standing by the door.

"Hey." He says with that smile of his that caused butterflies to swarm as I walked in and closed the door, wanting some privacy. My eyes lingered as his shirt fit snug on him, showing his muscular frame along with his pants and sneakers that he wore with his hair in a ponytail.

I put my purse down on the chair that was across his desk from his chair and walked into his arms. Roman's tanned and muscular arms wrapped around me and I just happily laid my head against his chest and faced the window as I curled my arms against him. I let out a soft whimper when I felt that he was about to let go, yet he kept holding on to me. I took in his scent and closed my eyes.

"What's wrong?" He asks in a whisper as one of his hands dig into my hair and scratches my head as his other arm keeps me close to him. I shake my head, not wanting to complain about anything, especially as simple as having a bad day. "You sure?"

"Yeah, I just had a bad day." I say, barely above a whisper.

I feel his lips press against my head as he keeps me in his arms. This was the most intimate moment we've had yet and it felt right. I felt a sense of security in his arms and comfort as if everything that was making today a bad day for me, was washing away from my body. After a few moments, we left his office and made our way to the parking lot after he clocked out for the day. Since our cars were parked right next to each other's, he walked with me, occasionally brushing our fingers together.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asks when I leaned against my car.

"It's just one of those days, I think." I say as I stand up straight. "I'll be okay tomorrow. I promise."

He chuckles when I give him that little smile of mine. "You're cute, you know that?"

"I may have been told that once or twice." I reply with a grin as he cups my chin.

"I'm going to keep telling you that though." He says. I immediately miss the warmth of his fingers when he drops his hand. "You're very cute. Beautiful in fact. You're smart and you got this cutest laugh I've ever heard."

"You're just trying to make me feel better." I say, in a matter-of-fact tone, though I was trying so hard to keep my smile from showing because the truth was, he really was making me feel better in his own little way.

"Maybe, but I also meant what I said." Roman tells me. I hook some of my fingers with his, without thinking twice about it. "I really like you, you know."

I nod, suddenly remembering past relationships. "Just promise me to not give up on us. On me."

"I won't." He says, taking my whole hand in his. I found comfort in knowing how easily my hand fit into his. "Promise you won't give up either."

"I won't." I tell him.

A few minutes later, we reluctantly pulled away and went our separate ways. That night, after cleaning my entire apartment, though it was supposed to be just some of it, I took a long and warm shower. When I came out, I noticed that it was after 7:30 and I wasn't much in the mood to cook anything. Taking out a menu from my favorite Chinese restaurant that was about 15 minutes away, I looked through it and ordered a few minutes later after deciding what I wanted. I heard knocking on the door and checking the time again, I wondered who it was and for a split second thought that it was Samantha because of us living so close together.

Looking through the peephole, it was as if the world stopped at that moment. I opened the door and saw Roman standing on the other sides. He wore a black wife beater underneath a light hoodie, with basketball shorts and black sneakers. His hair was in a bun and a few strands of hair were a bit out of place as he held a bag.

"I wanted to surprise you and so I thought I'd stop by. I got some food along the way that I thought we could have for dinner." He tells me with a slanted smile. "I'm sorry I didn't call. I should have called. I don't even know if you made dinner already or not. I was just hoping to make you feel better and spend some time with you."

"I didn't make dinner." I say as my heart melts. Roman nods and looks down. I grab his hand and take him in, closing the door behind him and seeing that the bag was from the Chinese restaurant. "I just ordered some Chinese food too, so if we need some more food, we'll have extra."

His grey eyes lingered on me and I suddenly felt shy again, standing there in pajama pants that reached my feet and a black spaghetti strap shirt with my hair in a messy braid. It was the first time since my last relationship that a guy that wasn't my father had seen me in something outside of my everyday clothes.

"You really wanted to make me feel better?" I ask, wanting to change his direction of sight.

"And to spend time with you." Roman adds. "I know, I should have called and I'm sorry for that. If you don't feel comfortable with me doing that, I..."

I shake my head. "No, it's really sweet of you. I haven't had a guy do that in...well, ever. So it's a bit new for me in a way. I'm just surprised. In a good way though, so please don't worry. Okay?"

"You sure?" He asks, still unsure if it's really okay.

"Yes, I promise." I say with a smile. I take him to the kitchen and I bite my lip without him seeing my occasional glances to him. I couldn't help but look at his chest and his muscular frame when he took off his sweater while we waited for what I ordered to come.

When it finally did, I answered the door and payed for it. Going back to the kitchen, Roman helped me take out the containers.

"See, we have enough for both of us." He says, looking at the pork fried rice with boneless spare ribs and chicken wings that he had bought. I had ordered the same thing, so I decided to save mine until tomorrow if we didn't eat it tonight.

"Good, because I'm so hungry right now." I say and I hear him chuckle behind me as we walk to the small dining table that I had near the kitchen. "Thank you again, for coming. It means a lot to me."

"No problem." He says with a smile.

Roman hooked a strand of my hair behind my ear after bringing the sodas with him and rested one of his hands on the side of my face. I was quickly reminded of the intimate hug we shared in his office a few hours earlier and I wanted to feel that again. We both sat down and it was suddenly feeling too warm.

"I've been wanting to know though...do you really take kisses on the first date or were you just telling me that?" He asks with his wicked smile.

I felt my face burn at the question as I looked at him, though I played it cool. "Not always. It depends."

"On what?" Roman asks.

"Well, the mood has to be right and the guy has to earn it." I say, feeling the warmth of his fingers, even after they left my chin. "Which means, the guy can't be an jerk, an asshole, and whatever other kind of behavior that can turn me off. Do you kiss on the first date?"

"If it's the right moment." He says. "What shows do you like?"

"There's quite a few. It may even sound like a list filled with favorite shows." I tell him. "Are you ready?"

We both laugh. "Yes, ma'am."

 ***Roman's POV***

It was Friday and that meant that I was going to go to the soup kitchen with Cassandra. I've never volunteered in one before, so I thought this could be a good thing. And she was going to be there which I really liked. I wanted to be with her every chance I could. Wearing a grey shirt with sleeves that reached my elbows, I had on a pair of dark blue jeans with a pair of nice sneakers. I slicked my hair back into a neat bun and put on some cologne. I know it's a soup kitchen that I'm going to, but I also wanted to look presentable.

Hearing a knock on the door, I go to open it and a smile forms on my lips when I see Cassandra as she wore a blue, short sleeve shirt with a white shirt underneath. She wore blue jeans with a brown belt and boots that reached her ankles. Her purse hung over her shoulder as her hair was in a neat ponytail as it rested on the nape of her neck.

"Hi." She says as she comes in.

"Hey." I say with a smile as I take her in for a hug and I smell her perfume.

We linger in that manner for a while until we both pull away. I looked at her again and I wanted to kiss her. To feel her lips on mine, but I wanted to wait for a good time. The right moment. It had been torture to pass by her everyday since our first date and not grab her face and just kiss her, but I decided to wait instead.

"You got a nice little place." She says as she looks around at one bedroom apartment. It had carpets all throughout, expect for the kitchen and the bathroom with some pictures on the walls of me and some friends as well as me and my twin cousins, Jimmy and Jey. It was all a decent size, but it was good for now. "I really like it."

"Yeah?" I ask, looking around.

Cassandra nods with a smile. "Yes. It seems pretty cozy."

"I know it's not as big as yours, but it's what I can afford right now." I tell her honestly.

"That's okay." She says, taking my hands into hers. "I still like it."

My heart sped up a bit and I wanted to just pull her into my arms. I kept myself under control though and stayed content with holding her hands. Grabbing my wallet and my keys, we then got in her car and made our way to the soup kitchen.

When we got there about 30 minutes later, it really looked like a nice place. There was a sign on top that was brightly lit up, saying: _'Aunt Isabelle's Soup Kitchen: A Community Within The Community'_

I smiled, but looked down wishing I had known of this place while I was in my time of need. Luckily, I had Dean helping me out and then Cassandra. Something I will forever be grateful for and never will I forget. The outside was made of concrete and had a beige and creamy looking color to it, but it was nice.

"You okay?" I hear her ask as we make our way to the entrance.

"Yeah, I'm good." I tell her.

Walking inside, we instantly smell the aroma of food and the chatter of people. Following Cassandra, we make our way to what in a medium sized room that looks like where they could just sit and talk and listen to music, read or play some games. I smiled seeing some of them greet her before she introduced me to some of them. We then went to the cafeteria, where the aroma was coming from. There were enough tables to fit everyone that was in the other room, and maybe a bit more. The walls were cream and the floors were checkered with white and black and where the food was going to be served, there were trays where the line would begin.

"Hi, Ms. Isabella." Cassandra says with a smile.

"There's my Cassandra." She says with a warm smile. The lady comes around to meet her halfway with an apron. The woman was tan and a little shorter than her with curly brown hair and blue eyes, but her smile lit up the room. The rest of them came out from the back to greet her as well. They all greeted each other and talked among each other like great friends.

After being introduced, it wasn't long until I was put to work. I was given an apron and a pair of gloves and helped out with putting the rest of the food together. When it was time for everyone to come in to eat, stood near the ending, next to Cassandra of course, to give out mashed potatoes that would be given with fried chicken, salad and rice with Southern style beans.

Once we made sure that everybody there had their food and drinks, I walked around a bit, as did Cassandra, to make sure that everyone was okay. I looked around and saw myself in some of them. Looking at them, I saw the me that I was in the 8 months that I was homeless and I felt their struggle without having to hear any of their stories.

"Where you from?" Asked a voice. Following the voice, I see an elderly man sitting nearby. He had blue eyes with grey hair, but looked fragile. "My name's Andrew, by the way."

"My name's Roman." I said, shaking his hand. "And I'm from Florida. You?"

He smiles and invites me to take a seat. "Alabama. What made you come here to Texas?"

"I was having a lot of problems with my family." I said. "It got so bad that my dad said to leave until I got myself back in line. I wanted to go to a place where I could try things out without their help. Unfortunately, I lost the job I had after three weeks. I was laid off. Everything went downhill from there. You?"

"I had a job opportunity here in Texas, so I took it." He says. "And it was a chance to experience a place outside of Alabama. I do get homesick, though."

"Me too." I say with a soft smile.

"You're afraid to get close to people aren't you?" He asks. I look at him, not knowing what to say. "I see pain in your eyes. I've been homeless for the last two years. It's not that I don't want to change that because I truly do. I've also lived enough to know when someone's been through something."

Letting out a sigh, I saw Cassandra walking up to us with a smile. "Everything okay, here? Good evening, Andrew."

"Good evening, indeed, Ms. Cassandra." He said with a smile. "You look beautiful as always."

"Thank you." She said with a sweet smile. "And you look very handsome tonight."

I smiled at her and gave her a wink when she looked at me. Seeing her cheeks grow pink, I chuckled softly before she walked away.

"And she makes you happy." Andrew said as she does.

"She has that effect on me." I say before looking back and seeing her talking to a little girl, who was holding on to a teddy bear. When the little girl hugged her, I excused myself and went to the back to grab something quick to eat.

Two hours later, I managed to slip away for a few minutes. I had a lot on my mind and I hated these moments because I knew it would be a while before I was able to get them out. Leaning against the wall, I leaned my head back and breathed in deeply, seeing a few stars in the sky. The night had been going good so far. I had managed to talk to a few of them and have a pep talk like I did with my team during the season before and after games. I managed to make a few friends, one of them being Andrew and I hoped to see them again.

"Roman?" Asked someone.

I smiled when I looked over to see that it was Cassandra. "I'm okay. Just needed some fresh air."

"Do you like it so far?" She asked. "We could go home if you want."

"No, I actually really like this place." I tell her honestly. "There's people that will leave here with lifelong friends and they'll never forget what it was like to have people be so kind to them. It's not easy out there, especially when you feel like you're all alone. It feels like everyone in there is family. You walk in there and everyone is singing and talking and having a good time. Forgetting about their problems for just a little while. But it gives them a place to go to so that they can get out of the streets, even if it's not permanent. I really like this place, Cassandra."

Cassandra looked up at me with a genuine smile, as well as curiosity in her eyes. Feeling a warm breeze, I contemplated on what I wanted to tell her.

"They really like you, you know." She tells me. "And those pep talks of yours, it's no wonder the team at school ended on a winning streak this season."

I gave her a smile. "You think I missed my calling? Of being a motivational speaker?"

"Maybe." She said with a soft laugh.

"There's something I want to tell you." I say.

"Okay. What is it?" She asks, standing in front of me. Close enough for me to smell the jasmine on her and see her beautiful green eyes.

I look down at the ground. "Before I started working at Houston High, I was homeless."

"You were?" Cassandra softly asks.

"Yes." I tell her, finally having the courage to look at her. There was a softness in her eyes and sense of caring. "The day that you and I first saw each other at the restaurant that Dean works, you were with Kaitlyn, I was homeless. The day you told me about the job openings at Houston High, I was still homeless. I had been for about 8 months. Dean always let me stay at his place and he would get me some food from the restaurant."

"That's what he was giving you that night. When we saw you by the restaurant with him." She says, as if thinking about that night.

I nod in agreement. "Yes. I didn't want to burden him, so I used to sleep in my car instead for days at a time before he would get me to go back to his place. When you told me about the job, I started staying with him more often and then everyday until I had enough for my apartment."

"Is that why you asked me about what I'd do if I met someone who was homeless?" Cassandra asked me.

"Yes." I said, not surprised that she remembered. I looked away, not wanting to see any how she reacts. "I came here with no job and no place to live. I would put my pride aside and ask for the smallest jobs I could get, but after a while I just stopped asking. I met Dean in the process."

Cassandra didn't say anything and I was afraid that she was thinking the worst. "Please don't be mad at Dean, if you're thinking about why he didn't say anything to you. I made him promise me that he wouldn't tell anyone. It's not his fault that he didn't say anything."

"Why didn't you want anyone knowing?" She asked.

"Because I didn't want anybody feeling bad for me because of my situation." I reply, looking up again. "For a while there, I felt bad because it seemed and felt like I wasn't doing anything to change my situation. Every opportunity I had, I just passed it along like it was nothing. Then you come along, and I take the opportunity at Houston High and I've gotten to know an amazing woman in the process. I didn't want you think any differently of me because of what I've been through since coming here. I'm trying to do better for myself and my life. I really am trying, I don't want you to think that I'm not."

She pulls me closer to her and cups my face in her hands. I felt vulnerable in front of her and it was the first time in a long time that I allowed myself to feel like that in front of a woman. My pride was washing away and making me feel like I wanted to do anything and everything to get her, even if that meant telling her about my struggles, even if they seemed so small to others who've been through more or worse. Even if it meant showing more of that vulnerability that I had always been afraid to show, especially in the last few years. But it scared me because I haven't been this vulnerable in a long time.

"I'm not mad at you, Roman." Cassandra tells me. "I'm standing in front of you and I don't see that man that's not trying. I look at you and I see a man who loves what he does as a football coach and a man who really does try. I see something in you and you know what? That's not making me change how I feel about you. So you've been homeless. Guess what? When I finished with my Master's, I didn't have anywhere to live either. I didn't have a job and I didn't have a lot of money. Luckily, I had Kaitlyn who let me live with her until I got back on my feet. Even then, I didn't bother to ask for help. I wanted to prove to myself that I could make it without having to run back to my parents for help. So who am I to judge you on what you've been through? On being homeless? I don't have that right. You're trying and you should be proud of yourself for how good you've done. You have a job you love, friends, and a roof over your head. You have a bed to sleep in and clothes on your back as well as food in your stomach. You should be proud of yourself, Roman."

"You missed out on your calling, too." I say, feeling inspired to continue to do better.

We both laugh and I can feel a big smile on my face. My heart swelled and I knew it from that moment, that she's the one that I wanted to be with, as corny as it sounded.

"Public speaking has never been my strong suit." She says. "Even though I'm a teacher, that doesn't mean I don't have my moments where I just want to hide from everyone."

"You shouldn't hide." I say.

Cassandra looks down and plays with my hands. "Trying to flirt with me?"

I chuckle lightly and smile wondering how we can find entertainment in a serious moment. "I like when we flirt with each other."

"We just like each other, period." She says. "On a serious note, though...you deserve that kiss."

Realizing what she had meant, I cupped her face in my hands and leaned down until my lips touched hers. The kiss started out soft and sweet until it deepened. Wrapping her in my arms, I pulled her closer to me as my lips never left hers. I felt her arms around my neck as I got lost in her. Could it be that I was already falling for her? Pulling away, we smiled at each other before she shyly looked away as her cheeks turned pink.

"I really liked that kiss." I said.

"You want to torture me, knowing how shy I can get, don't you?" She asks, playfully putting her hands on her hips with the most serious look on her face.

"I'm just saying, I really liked it." I said, laughing. I pulled her to me and gave her another kiss. It felt right.

 **A/N: What did you think about Roman surprising Cassandra by coming over to her place and wanting to make her feel better after a bad day? What did you think of Roman finally telling her about being homeless for as long as he was? Did going to the soup kitchen with her encourage him to finally tell her? Are you glad that she isn't letting that negatively define him? What about him feeling vulnerable with her? What about being vulnerable do you think is scaring him?**


	7. Chapter 7

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed as well as those who put this story on their favorites and alerts!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own WWE, NXT or any of the Superstars and Divas from either roster that may appear in this story. Names and locations are used for story purposes only.**

 ***Roman's POV***

Making sure that everything was in place before Cassandra came, my phone rings and I smile seeing that it's one of my cousins, Jimmy. We grew up together and we were like brothers. We were always together doing all sorts of things, especially sports.

"Hey." I say with a smile when I answer the phone after turning the car off.

"Hey, Uce. How's it going?" He asks.

"It's going good, I can't complain. I'm just going to spend some time with my girl tonight. We're going to stay in and watch a movie." I say. "How's things for you? And what's Jey been up since we last talked?"

"We're doing good. Just spending some time with Naomi Jey's spending time with his little ones now that he's home a little more because of his injury." He says. "How are things with you and your girl, though?"

I smile, thinking about her. "It's going really good. It's been about a few weeks and I can't complain one bit. Cassandra's amazing and she's incredibly good to me. I don't know how I got so lucky. She treats me so damn good and it's the little things that she does like making sure I'm okay and with the way that she treats me that shows me she cares. You know what happened in my last relationship, so to have a woman as good as Cassandra, I'm not letting that go."

"Don't let that go. Just be careful though, okay?" Jimmy asks. "I don't want you to get hurt again."

"I am. It's just not as easy as it sounds when you're starting to get feelings that are deeper than just an 'I like you'." I tell him.

"Have you...you know." He asks.

I can hear the smile in his voice and I shake my head, knowing what he was talking about. "No, we haven't. When you see her though, you're going to ask why I haven't even tried. Cassandra's gorgeous."

"When me and Jey go out there, you have to introduce us to her. We have to see her." He says.

"I'm being serious." I tell him with a smile.

"I know you are." He replies with a chuckle. "Ro, you've been through a lot in the last year and a half. But things seem to be coming together for you. You got a job, you got friends. A roof over your head now. _And_ you got a girl. Who would have thought that Roman still had game."

"Shut up." I said jokingly as we both laugh.

We end up talking for a few more minutes before we hang up and I hear the door knock. Looking through the peephole, I see that it's Cassandra and so I open the door. She smiles when she sees me as she wears jeans with a grey shirt. Her long hair was neatly put into a French braid that rested down her back.

"Hey, handsome." She says as she walks in, seeing me in a navy blue shirt with jeans and sneakers with my hair in a ponytail.

"Hey, baby." I reply, giving her a kiss and closing the door behind her. Grabbing her hand, we go to the living room where she puts her purse on the couch. "How was your day?"

Cassandra wraps her arms around my waist and looks up at me as I wrap my arms around her. "It was good. I got to spend time with my mom today, which I liked because I missed spending time with her. How about you?"

"It was really good." I reply. "Dean and I hung out today."

"The two of your are inseparable." She says.

It makes me smile and I kiss her nose. "Yes, we're like brothers. But don't forget that you're my girlfriend and I won't mind giving you a lot of attention."

"You better." She tells me playfully before giggling when my facial hair tickles her neck. "What movies do you have?"

I walk her over to where I have my movie collection, which is next to the television. I've had a lot of these movies since before I came out here to Texas, so I'm glad that I still have them. "I have Insidious, The Fast & The Furious movies, all three Mummy movies, Think Like A Man and Think Like A Man Too, the Madea movies."

"Can we watch a Madea movie?" Cassandra asks.

"Sure. Which one you want to see?" I ask, letting her go through it. She picks _Madea's Witness Protection_ and hands it to me while she puts the rest away. "What would you like for dinner? I have two menus on the table."

Cassandra goes to check and looks through them both while I set up for the movie. I take a seat next to her with the remote in my hand.

"Want to try Spanish?" She asks.

"Yeah. What would you like?" I ask.

Looking through the menu again, we choose what we want and we call to make the order and for delivery. When we settle down again, we start the movie and I wrap my arm around her shoulder. The food came and we paused the movie while we got our food together. Cassandra took yellow rice with red beans and stewed chicken and potatoes that she shared with me while I took white rice with beans and fried plantains that I shared with her.

"I talked to my cousin before you got here." I say after we take a seat at the table. "Jimmy is the one I talked to, today."

"Yeah? How is he?" She asks.

I take a bite out of one of my plantains and look over at her as she eats. "He's doing good and so is Jey. You already know he's out on injury until October, so it's just him and Naomi traveling until he returns."

"You really miss them, don't you?" She asks when she looks up at me.

"Yeah." I say softly as I nod. "I don't see them a lot unless we talk on Skype. I'm just glad that I at least get to talk to them on the phone. They'd like to talk to you one day."

She looked at me surprised. "Really?"

"Yeah. I've told them about you and they seem to like you from what I've told them about you." I say. "If you'd like to talk to them, I could let them know so that the next time we talk on the phone, or Skype, you can talk."

"That would be cool. I'd like that." Cassandra tells me with a smile.

"Good." I say with a soft smile. I lean over and give her a kiss before we take our time finishing our dinner while we talked. After dinner, we shared some ice cream as we went back to watching the movie.

"When I decided to coach football, I wondered if it was the right choice." I say.

"How come?" She asks.

I thought about it for a moment. "A career in professional football didn't really work out for me after I graduated. So I always thought that if it didn't work out, that I would use my degree in Business Management. Deciding to coach football instead, I wondered if there was a part of me that was hoping I could, someday, at least get a taste of the big time. Even if it's as a coach."

"Maybe you can." She tells me. "Who knows, maybe the next step after high school football could be college ball. And maybe after that, it could be the pro's. You never know."

"Who taught you how to be so optimistic?" I ask with a smile.

Cassandra smiles up at me. "My parents. I learned that you can't expect anything positive if you're always thinking negative. It's hard sometimes to think positive so I do have my moments, like everybody else."

"It's a nice change though, having someone who's optimistic." I say.

"Like I said, I do have my moments." She tells me with a smile. "I think everyone does, at some point."

 ** _A few days later..._**

Hanging out with Dean, we go grab a bite to eat for lunch we're both having a pretty good day. Dean had just gotten a promotion two weeks earlier for the Assistant Manager position and he was as happy as can be. He was proud of himself and so was I.

"I've never seen her around here before." Said Dean as he looked past my shoulder at something in the distance. "That girl with the blue shirt."

I turn around to see who he was talking about and everything just froze and dread filled the air for me as I recognized the woman that he was referring to. Long, brown hair with brown eyes and tanned skin. Her body still the way that it was, the last time I saw her. Slim and fit from her years of doing track and field in college, with a bit more curves now. "Um, I don't know."

"What is it?" He asks while looking at me with his blue eyes.

"Nothing." I reply.

He looks at me seriously. "The look on your face when you saw who I was talking about doesn't say that you don't know."

"Dean..." I start to say in an effort to protest against talking about it, but I knew that I couldn't with someone I considered my brother. "She's my ex-girlfriend."

"Wait, what?" He asks. "That's your ex? We're talking about the same girl, right? The girl with the blue shirt?"

I nod. "Long brown hair? That would be her. I don't want to see her."

"Why not?" Dean asks.

"It's because of her that I'm here. We didn't end on the best terms." I say to him.

"Well, get ready to see her because she's walking this way." He says, trying to look somewhere else.

I let out a groan, hoping she wouldn't recognize me. Trying to not look when I noticed that she was walking by, but I couldn't escape her view.

"Roman?" She asks in the same voice that I remember from the last time we ever spoke to each other.

"Megan...hi." I say, looking up.

Looking at Dean, they introduced themselves and I could tell, by the look on his face, that he was uncomfortable as well as noticing that I was as well.

"It's been a while since we've seen each other." She says. "You look good."

"Thanks." I simply say before the waiter comes with our food. "I didn't know you were here in Houston."

Megan smiles as she looks at me. "I just moved here a month ago. I didn't know you were here, either."

"Yeah, well here I am." I say as I take the first bite of my food.

"I'm sorry about things ended between us." She said.

I shrug. "We can't change the past. I'm over it."

"I am, too. But I'm really sorry though." Megan replies.

"You put me through hell, Megan." I said to her. "I already forgave you, though I can't forget the bad you've done."

"Can we meet up one day and catch up on things?" She asks. "And we can probably get over that bridge of what happened in the past?"

I let out a sigh. "No, and I said that I'm over it because I really am. Besides, that wouldn't be a good idea."

"And why not?" She asks.

"Because I have a girlfriend." I tell her. "Things are going really good for me and I'm not going mess that up, especially with my relationship. If you're doing good in your life, than congratulations for the good that you're having."

I go back to my food as silence fills the air around us. Dean keeps paying attention to his food, though I know he's listening in on what's being said.

"I'm glad you're doing good, too." Megan tells me. "So this is it? The last time we'll ever see each other?"

"Yeah, I'm guessing it will be." I say without any emotion towards her, let alone behind any of the words that I had just said. "Have a good day."

Seeing her leave, I take one more bite before I put my fork down and sit back in my seat. Dean stops eating as well and silently asked if I was okay.

"I'll be fine. I just thought I'd never see her again and I was okay with that." I say. "She really hurt me and I feel like that pain that she caused me, changed me in a way."

"Are you going to tell Cass?" He asks.

I nod. "I have to. I don't want her to be taken by surprise if they end up running into each other."

"They don't know what the other looks like, though." Dean says.

"Yes, but what if Megan sees us together?" I ask. "I'm not trying to have Cassandra mad at me and feeling like I tried to keep something from her. This may seem like something simple, but it's something that I should probably tell her."

 ***Cassandra's POV***

"How is everything going between you and your boyfriend?" Asked my dad as we stepped aside and watched our family enjoy themselves. We were spending time with my brother, my little sisters, Michelle who is my dad's wife, my mom and her husband, Mike.

"It's going good." I reply with a smile. After our first kiss, we went out another two dates before Roman and I made it official after realizing that we really wanted to have a relationship with each other. "Dad, don't worry. We did start out as friends before we started dating, you know."

He gives me a soft smile. "I know and that's a good thing, Cass. He sounds like a good guy, from what you've told us about him. We just don't want to see you getting hurt again."

"Daddy, he's not like the last guy." I tell him. "I know we just started dating a few weeks ago, but I can't keep myself from falling for someone else so that I won't get hurt again."

"I get that, but it doesn't mean that I can't want to make sure that you're okay and that you're happy." He says. "I understand that you're an adult, but you're still my daughter and I love you, Cassandra. I want you to be happy with whatever you do and with whomever you're with. It wasn't easy forgiving him for what he did to you, and I'm not the one he did it to."

I look down and try to wiggle my toes in my shoes. "I think the two of you could have some things in common. Maybe. I don't know."

"Like what?" He asks. "I'm a wrestler and he comes from a wrestling family, what more can we have in common?"

"Daddy." I say, pouting. He softens his expression as I go wrap my arms around his waist and rest my head on his chest. After Roman and I both found out exactly who our dad's were, we were able to understand each other a little more because of that lifestyle that we grew up in.

I feel his arms go around me as he rests his cheek on the top of my head. "I want to make sure that he's not with you because of who I am. I know he comes from a wrestling family, so he's bound to know about me, but still."

"Don't scare him off, now." I say, giggling.

"I'll be my normal self. If I have to go American Badass on him, then I will." He says, though I can tell the smile in his voice.

I take in his scent as I feel him kiss my head. "Is it wrong for me want to be careful, even if he's a good guy?"

"It's normal to want that, especially after the last guy." My dad says. "That doesn't mean that you have to let it keep you from being happy because you get so worried and occupied with not wanting to get hurt."

"I know. I don't want to scare him off or push him away because of it." I say.

He kisses my head and gets me to look up at him when we pull away. "I'm sure you won't. If he does walk away, that's on him, not you. You're an amazing young woman and I'm proud of you for everything you've accomplished."

I smile and I kiss his cheek before I hook my arm through his when I stand next to him. "I love you, daddy."

"I love you, too, darlin'." He says, giving me another hug. "I always will."

I hug him tighter, not wanting to let him go. Hesitantly letting him go, we join everyone else to finish bowling. I have to admit, even though I'm a mama's girl, I'm also very much a daddy's little girl. As I got older, we were inseparable as was I with my mom. During my time in college, we strayed away from each other a bit and had our differences that kept us away from each other, but after all was worked out and we were able to move pas t everything, my dad and I were able to rebuild our father/daughter relationship.

"Your birthday's coming up in a few weeks." Said my mom as we make our way from the ladies' room. "What would you like?"

"I honestly don't know." I reply. My mom stood at 5 foot 10 with long blonde hair and blue eyes. Her oval face was smooth with neatly groomed eyebrows, plump lips and a strong nose with a strong jaw line. "I'm okay with what I have."

"We're still spending time with you anyways on your birthday." She says.

I smile at her and wrap my arm around her shoulder. "I know and that will be a very good time because I love spending time with your guys."

"Good because you can't get rid of us." My mom says. I laugh softly as she smiles.

"I don't want to get rid of any of you." I say, giving her a hug as we walk. My mom has always been someone that I could talk to about anything. She would listen and give me the best advice in the world. Even though being a mother came first to her, which I loved, we were still good friends.

 **A/N: Are you surprised that Roman and Cassandra decided to give a relationship between them a try? What do you think of her relationship with her parents? Would you say that her dad is protective of his daughter? What do you think happened in each other their past relationships? Why is Roman's ex-girlfriend in Texas? Why do you think she moved all the way out there? How do you think Roman handled seeing her again? Should he tell Cassandra about it?**


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed on the previous chapter as well as to those who put this story on their favorites and alerts list!**

 ***Cassandra's POV***

Going to lunch with Roman, we're able to get a table after we got our food and started eating. The last few days have been busy for the both of us and we haven't been able to spend as much time together as we would have liked.

"I have to tell you something." Roman says as he pushes his food around a bit.

"What is it?" I ask, wondering if he was okay.

He looks at me and it seems as if he's trying to find the words to say whatever he needs to say. "We've been busy the last few days so I haven't had the chance to tell you and I wanted to tell you in person instead of over the phone. The day that I was with Dean, which was the day that we went to the diner for lunch, I saw somebody from my past."

"Okay. Who?" I asked.

"It was my ex-girlfriend." He tells me.

I looked at him, wondering if I heard correctly. "You said your ex?"

"Yes." Roman tells me softly. "She said that she just moved here to Houston a month ago. It was the first time that I have seen her since we broke up."

"What do you mean she moved here?" I ask.

"I don't know, Cassandra. I haven't seen her since." He tells me. "She wanted to hang out with me again to I guess catch up on things and apologize for what happened between us, but I turned her down. I didn't know she was going to be here in Houston, let alone in any part of Texas. I didn't even think she'd leave Florida because she didn't have much tolerance to live anywhere else."

I looked down at my food and thought about it. Truth was, I didn't really know what to think or feel about Roman's ex-girlfriend being around. I'm not exactly thrilled by it, but we've never met before, her and I.

"What are you thinking?" He asks.

"What can I think?" I ask him. "I don't know her or anything about her. We've never met before, her and I."

"And I won't ask you, too." Roman says. "I'm not going to put you through that, especially when I don't want to see her again, myself."

I look over at him and end up taking his hands into mine. "Thank you for telling me. I'm not mad at you. If anything, I'm thankful that you told me. You're being honest with me and that's important to me, especially in a relationship."

"You're not mad?" He asks softly, giving me a pout. I automatically smile at how cute he looks as his full lips form into a pout and lean across the table to give him a kiss.

"I'm not mad, baby. I don't like it, but I'm not mad. I'm just really glad you told me the truth." I tell him. "I just wonder what we're going to do if we see her."

Roman shakes his head. "I don't even know. I never thought she'd ever be here. From the time we met to the time we broke up, she never mentioned anything about ever coming here, so seeing her here is a surprise to me. I don't know. But if the day comes that we do see her, we'll find a way to deal with it. "

We share another kiss before finishing lunch. That Monday, I'm in my classroom making sure everything is ready before I head home for the day. I haven't talked to Roman all day, then again, he hasn't really answered my texts the entire day either and I wondered why when he's been here all day. I know that Roman didn't have a meeting today with anyone unless it was last minute, so I don't know what's going on.

As I walk out the doors after clocking out, I hear my name being called. Turning around, I see him walking towards me and I'm happy in a way to see that he seems to be physically okay. He jogs to me when I stand to wait for him and he gives me a kiss.

"Hey." I say to him before we walk the rest of the way to our cars.

"Hey." He simply says.

I look over at him. "Is everything okay? I tried texting you today, but you never answered."

"I'm sorry." Roman says. "I've just been in a bad mood today."

"Why? Do you want to talk about it?" I ask.

He shakes his head. "It's nothing. How are you, though?"

We stop by our cars and I look down. "I'm okay, but I'm getting a bad headache and I don't feel too good and I just wanted to talk to you today."

His eyes soften and he relaxes as he rubs my arms with his hands. Roman then takes me into his arms as I rest my head on his chest. I feel his lips press against my head and I take in his scent, closing my eyes as I do.

"Is there anything I could do to make you feel better?" He asks.

I smile up at him and there was something there that I couldn't explain. Something in the way he held me and the way his eyes lingered every time he looked at me. There was something in the way he smiles at me whenever he sees me and how I feel about it. It's definitely more than just a like and I'm scared because I know I'm falling for him and I don't know if he'll catch me.

"I just want to go home and try to clean up a bit." I tell him. I also wanted to be wrapped up in his arms and make him feel better even when I'm physically wanting to get better myself.

After a few more minutes, we bot got into our cars. I was annoyed and frustrated and I just wanted to get home. So after stopping by the supermarket to get some things, I made my way home and put everything away before I started cleaning. After a little more than an hour of doing that, I saw that it was a little after seven, and so I decided to just take a shower before making something for dinner that didn't take long for me to do. Hearing a knock on the door, I let out a dramatic sigh, not really in much of a mood for company.

Opening the door, I see that it's Roman standing there with a black wife beater and shorts with his hair in a bit of a messy bun. The bad mood that I was in, suddenly disappeared at the sight of him and I wrapped my arms around his neck when he walked in, closing the door behind him. Taking me into his arms, Roman picked me up and held me tightly after putting me down.

"How are you feeling?" He softly asks.

"I'm okay. My stomach feels a little better so I'm trying to eat a little something, but I still have a headache." I tell him as I play with his shirt.

Roman kisses my forehead and keeps his lips close to my face, brushing them lightly across my face. I instantly missed the warmth of his breath and lips when he stopped and I leaned my face into his hand when he stroked my cheek.

"I bought some ice cream and I thought we could share some." He tells me.

"Okay. I made some mac and cheese though." I tell him. "I made enough, do you want some?"

He agreed and followed me to the kitchen. I put the ice cream away as he helped himself to some of the food before I got something to drink for him. Eating a simple dinner together, I admired the effort he put into trying to make me laugh and smile.

"Are you feeling better from earlier?" I asked him after we finished eating.

"A little bit. Jimmy and Jey called me this morning on my way to school." He says. "I took that as an opportunity to talk to them for a bit before my first class. They said that my dad wanted to get in contact with me."

I looked at him, not really understanding how that would be upsetting. "What's wrong with that?"

"I haven't talked to him since I left Pensacola." Roman says. "When I left, we were on bad terms and I thought that he didn't want anything to do with me when I left and so I never tried to get in contact with him, no matter how much I wanted to."

"What happened with you and your dad?" I ask him.

I take his hand in mine and watch as my hand fit perfectly in his. "My dad didn't want me to leave. But I felt like I had to get out of there and start over. After everything that had been happening since graduating college, I just wanted to start over. Professional football not working out for me. Having to go back to Florida and then a very bad relationship that turned into a bad breakup that turned into me just getting messed up from that relationship. My dad and I always arguing about something because I couldn't seem to do anything right. As much as I want to talk to my dad, all I remembered was us leaving things on a bad note and that didn't sit well with me. I don't know what to do."

"What's your heart telling you to do?" I ask him.

"To try to talk to him. It's felt like so long though since we've talked." He says.

I trace the lines on the inside of his hands. "You never know, though. It could turn out to be a good thing. It sounds like you miss him."

"I do." Roman whispers.

After washing our plates and cleaning up from dinner, Roman took out the ice cream that he had bought and walked with me to the living room. Sitting on the couch, he let me snuggle as close to him as I could and shared with me. Once we got halfway through, we decided to put the rest away and sit we turned off the living room lights, allowing the lights from the television to illuminate the living room.

Taking some of the pillows from the couch, we placed them on the floor along with a blanket large enough for the both of us with another one underneath us. I cuddled up to him and felt his arms take me in. I feel his lips softly kiss my head and then my face before they went to my shoulders and my neck. It made me wonder how it would feel having his lips and his hands throughout the rest of my body. It made me wonder how it would feel having him make love to me. But for now, I was just enjoying having him here and being in his arms.

 ***Roman's POV***

I laid in bed after taking a hot shower and I felt like crap. My entire body was aching and I didn't want to move. I had gotten sick the day before and I wasn't feeling up to anything. Hearing a knock on the door, I groaned before forcing myself to get up. Walking to the door in nothing but my basketball shorts, I look through the peephole to see that it was Cassandra standing on the other side. My heart skipped a beat and my mood suddenly lightened seeing her. I liked how my mood suddenly got better whenever she was around.

Opening the door, I saw her in a blue shirt that hugged her curves. Beige pants covered her long legs and her long hair rested in a braid. She had a bag with her, though I didn't know what she had in there. It didn't matter to me at the moment as I closed the door behind her, took her face into my hands and gave her a kiss. I knew at that moment that I just wanted to take her, especially with how good she was looking. I wanted to learn every inch and curve of her body. Everything that pleasured her on a physical level. Everything that didn't on a physical level and I wanted to take my time learning everything I could. But the moment I pulled away and looked into her green eyes, I knew that my heart was already getting deeper as I kept getting lost in her.

"Hi, to you, too." She says softly with a smile.

"Hi." I said with a smile. "It feels really good to see you."

Cassandra leans up a bit to touch my nose with hers as I said that. My arms make their way around her waist and gave her another kiss that left both of us breathless. Realizing how I had said how good it was to see her, I started to feel vulnerable again and I knew why as the memories came back. She took my hand and led me to the kitchen.

"I bought some soup that I made." She says as she opens her bag and takes out the containers and places them neatly on the counter. "I bought you enough to last you at least until tomorrow. And I have some biscuits, too if you'd like some. I sometimes eat one or two with some soup and I love it."

My heart swells with joy as I look at her and see that she did this for me just so that I could feel better. I don't know how I got so lucky, but I did. I have an amazing woman in my life that I was falling for and I want to keep her in my life for a really long time.

"You're my angel, you know that?" I ask as I cup her face in my hands.

"I just want to be good to you." She says. There was suddenly a look of sadness and a hint of fear in her eyes that she quickly hid after momentarily looking down. "And I probably got you sick with whatever was wrong with me the other day and so I wanted to make you feel better and make it up to you."

Giving her another kiss, I made it last a little longer as more emotions were put into it as I found myself doing lately. "Let's eat some soup. And some biscuits. It's been a while since I've eaten one."

"Okay." She says with a smile. I take her bag and put it in my room. As much as my body is aching at the moment, Cassandra's worth it. Walking back into the kitchen, I see her warming up the food a bit as she takes out two cups. I fill them up with soda after I wash them and put them on the table with some napkins and spoons.

Cassandra comes to the dinner table with the soup before bringing the biscuits and sits down next to me. Looking into the plate, I see noodles with potatoes, carrots and stewed chicken with small pieces of ham. Taking a deep breath in, I take in the scent and close my eyes.

"Man, this is so good." I say with my mouth full as I'm ready to take another bite.

"You really like it?" Cassandra asks.

I nod as I take another bite. "This is amazing. This biscuit looks like it has cheese in it."

"Because it does." She replies. "I made some plain and some with cheese."

"You made these from scratch?" I ask.

Cassandra nods. "I learned how to make them when I was little from my mom and my grandma, so every time they made biscuits, I always offered to help. I started out making just the plain one, but it wasn't until I was in high school that I started making the one with cheese."

I take a bite and my taste buds are in heaven right now before dipping a piece of it into the soup and trying it like that as well. Tasting how soft and fluffy it was and that it was full of flavor.

I smile when she lets out a soft giggle and continues eating. "How are you feeling though? Are you better?"

"A lot better than yesterday, that's for sure." I tell her. "My body just hurts and it makes me feel a bit like crap, still."

"Can I try to take care of that?" She asks.

I smile at her. "Can I ask how?"

"I can you show you, instead. Later though. Finish your soup." Cassandra replies. I kept from groaning because of how much I wanted her.

"After dinner, can we just talk?" I ask. "About anything that comes to mind?"

She gives me that beautiful smile of hers. "Sure."

Once dinner was finished, I helped her put the rest of the containers of soup and biscuits away before helping her wash the dishes. Of course, with a few kisses in between because I just couldn't resist. Walking to my room, I looked in the mirror and saw that my hair was a bit of a mess, but I decided to leave it like that and keep without a shirt on as well. Cassandra walking into the room, she rested her hands on my sides and kissed the back of my shoulder after she took off her sneakers.

"Do you mind if I change into some more comfortable?" She asks.

"I don't mind." I tell her.

She gives me a smile before going to her bag and grabbing what looked like a shirt and another pair of pants. Going in to the bathroom, she came out a few minutes later with black shorts that fit perfectly and showed her long legs and her perfectly shaped behind. She now had on a grey shirt that had the front stop a few inches below her breasts, showing her flat stomach. Thought the shirt had sides that reached her waist, you could still see her curves. Her clothes folded up, she put them back in her bag and put on a pair of black slippers.

"You ready?" She asks, getting my attention away from what she was wearing to her eyes.

"Yeah." I replied after clearing my throat.

We walked out of the room and to the living room and sat on the couch. I rest my hand on her thigh as she traces my tattoo.

"So tell me...what are you afraid of?" Cassandra asks me.

"I can think of a few things." I say. Smelling vanilla and jasmine, I close my eyes breathing it in again. "My pride says I'm afraid of nothing."

"But your heart says something else." She adds before kissing my shoulder.

I nod. "I'm afraid that one day people will wake up and walk away from me because they decide that I'm not what they want anymore. In my last relationship, she developed a habit of always walking away. Whenever we argued, she'd walk away after making sure that she had the last word and making you feel that the argument was always your fault. Whenever I tried to do something nice for her, whether it be making it up to her for an argument, or just wanting to do something nice, she would walk away. Never would she give a compliment or a comment of any kind. So I always thought that I wasn't doing it right, or she just simply didn't like it."

"What ended up happening?" She asked.

"Looking back at it, it was like that for the majority of the time we were together." I replied. "It didn't start out like that, but that's how it ended up being. It was as if the reason for why we got together in the first place was no longer valid. As if it was forgotten about and we were trying to find a reason to stay which is probably why she would always walk away from me."

"Why didn't _you_ leave?" Cassandra asks me.

I shrug. "I cared too much about her to leave. So you can imagine my friends and family trying to talk to me about it only for me to say to them that I wasn't going to leave because she was different. That we were going to get better. Instead, it was doing more damage to me than good, that relationship. I went from being this confident guy to begin scared of losing someone. When we broke up, it was because she did what I'm now afraid of. Waking up one day and leaving because she realized I wasn't what she wanted anymore. Two months later, I saw her with another guy. I don't know if they stayed together or for how long if they did. I don't know if you've noticed the amount of times that we're together and I always hesitate to leave. How I always try to stay a little longer. How I hate when you leave."

"Because you're scared that I'll walk away from you?" She asked, looking up into my eyes.

"Are you mad?" I carefully ask her.

"I'm not mad, baby." Cassandra tells me. "I just didn't know that you felt like that. Why didn't you tell me?"

I look down, feeling a lump in my throat. How was it possible that this woman made me go through emotions that I've always been afraid to face since my last relationship?

"I don't want you to feel like you're being forced to be with me. To spend time with me." I tell her. "I don't want to be that kind of boyfriend that doesn't give their girl that space that they want and need to do their own thing. I don't want to smother you and make you feel like I'm always there and always having to be attached."

Cassandra carefully straddles me and rests her arms on my shoulders. I rest my hands on her sides, feeling the warmth of her skin underneath my hands. My eyes make their way down before going back up to her eyes and seeing her face turn red when she realized it. I wanted to smile, remembering how shy she can get.

"Don't ever think that I'd do what she did." She tells me. "I have something to thank her for. It may not sound like the best thing, but if it wasn't for what she did, I wouldn't have had the chance of having you."

"That doesn't sound bad at all." I say.

We share a kiss before she places small kisses on my jaw. "Don't be afraid to tell me that you want to spend time with me. I don't want you to be afraid to tell me what you need and want. I promise I'll do the same, telling you what I want and need. Besides, I wanted you to stay the other day when I wasn't feeling to good. I just let my nervousness keep me from asking you to stay."

"Tell me...will you stay tonight?" I ask her. "I could take the couch and you can sleep in my bed."

"I don't want you on the couch, tonight." Cassandra tells me. "And it's not going to help you feel any better in the morning. We can sleep in the same bed?"

"Yeah. If you want to go home, I'll take you home, too." I tell her.

Cassandra shakes her head. "I want to stay with you and take care of you tonight. You're not getting rid of me that easily."

"I wasn't trying to." I say with a grin. "If anything, I was hoping you'd stay."

"And I can sleep in your arms." She softly says.

My heart swells with the thought of that. "Absolutely. I'll find you here in the morning?"

"Yes." Cassandra tells me with that smile of hers. "And I'll still be taking care of you tomorrow morning, too. And making sure you feel better. Which I can start doing now."

"Baby, you started the moment you came in." I tell her.

She giggles softly and gives me a kiss. Cassandra hands me the remote and I turn on the television to look for something to watch. She stands up and walks around the couch until she's standing behind me. I feel her hands on my shoulders as she begins to give me a massage. I try to keep from groaning at how good it felt.

"Just like that." I find myself mumbling when she digs her hands a little deeper. I feel her lips on my neck before they reach my ear. "That feels nice."

Cassandra goes back to giving me a massage before we spend the rest of the evening watching television before brushing our teeth. After deciding to go to bed, we turn off the television and the lights before going to my bedroom. I get in bed first and sigh happily feeling my body land on the comfortable mattress that had on grey sheets. Opening my eyes, I see Cassandra crawl into bed and lay next to me. I quickly take her in my arms and feel her head rest on my chest.

"I see that you're still pretty shy." I tell her.

"I'm not as shy as I used to be." She replies. "But I still have my moments."

I smile. "It's pretty cute, though."

"No, it's not." She says. "I love teaching though, and that's helped me out a bit."

"It is cute." I say. "And you're an amazing teacher."

Cassandra looks up at me and smiles. "Thanks."

I stroke her cheek with my thumb as I give her a kiss. The kiss deepens and conversation is forgotten about as our lips meet as it ends up being a make out session instead.

 **A/N: How do you think Cassandra took the news of Roman seeing his ex-girlfriend? Does she have a reason to worry when it comes to her or can she be confident about his ex being around? Just how much pain/heartbreak was Roman put through in his last relationship? What about her and Roman taking care of each other when they got sick? Should Roman try to reach out to his dad? Why do you think Roman is able to feel more vulnerable with Cassandra? Do you think Roman will be more confident in telling her what he needs and wants from her and telling her when he wants to spend time with her?**


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed on the previous chapter as well as to those who put this story on their favorites and alerts list!**

 ***Cassandra's POV***

Making my way to Roman's office after my last class and clocking out for the day, I suddenly had a feeling of nervousness in my stomach. With it being the last week of school, everyone had been packing things up. Since I had already finished packing up my things from my classroom and had nothing planned for my classes, I allowed my students to have a bit of free time.

Seeing that his door was closed as were his binders, I remembered his text saying that his door was open and to wait for him inside and because there was a surprise in there for me. I did just that, and closed the door behind me. I stopped in my tracks seeing beautiful red roses on his desk. Walking up to it, I see a small card propped up against it. Picking it up, I open it and read it.

 _'To Cassandra. A beautiful woman and girlfriend, who deserves it. Thank you for bringing joy back into my life. -Roman'_

Tears filled my eyes as joy filled my body and my heart as I feel my face warm up. I hear the door open and close and I turn around to see Roman standing behind me with a navy blue shirt and jeans with his hair in a neat bun. He gives me a soft smile after looking at the card in my hand and then the flowers.

Not being able to find the words to say, I flew into his arms and wrapped mine around his neck. Feeling Roman's arms find their way around me, there was something in the way that he held me that made my heart pound. He held me like he didn't want to let me go, even after we pulled away.

"Thank you, so much for the flowers." I tell him with a big smile. "They're beautiful and they're my favorite."

"You really like them?" He asks, and I could see, in his eyes, the wanting that he had, as if wanting approval for what he did. As if he wanted to know that he was doing something good and that not every single thing that he did was wrong, like he had been made to feel in his last relationship.

I gave him a kiss. "I love them. What's the special occasion?"

"I just wanted to do something nice." Roman tells me with that voice of his that I loved to hear. "And you deserve it and so much more for how good you've been to me."

"You deserve something, too." I tell him as we stood in the middle of his office, and still in each other's arms. "You've been an amazing man to me. An amazing boyfriend. I couldn't ask for a better guy."

His soft, full lips capture mine for a kiss filled with unspoken emotions and that left me breathless and wanting more. "You don't have to do anything, baby."

"I want to." I softly say before we share another kiss. Feeling him pick me up, I wrap my legs around his waist when I feel him walking. Roman gently sat down on the couch with me straddling his lap. I rested my arms on his shoulders before grabbing his face and pulling it towards me for another kiss. Feeling his large, strong hands slip underneath my skirt, I almost let a moan escape from my lips at the electricity that was sent through my body from his touch. A moan that would have allowed him to see how good his hands felt on my skin. Though they eventually rested on my waist, the passion building between us was undeniable.

Roman reluctantly pulling away, he let out a small groan. "If we go any further, he's going to wake up. I think he's already starting to."

I felt my face burn when I realized what he had meant. "I don't think it would be a bad thing if he did."

The look in his eyes spoke of passion and lust. "You think so? I mean we've done some serious making out in the last three weeks."

"Yes, we have. I can't seem to resist those lips of yours." I tell him. He chuckles before gently pulling me to him for another kiss.

"I can't resist yours either." Roman says against my lips.

Feeling my phone vibrate, he lets out another groan. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." He says as he watches me take out my phone. I show him that it's from my mom, saying that she's waiting outside for me.

I got off his lap and fixed myself as he did the same. Putting on some lip gloss, he gave me a wink that sent butterflies into my body. I grabbed the roses and gave him a quick kiss before he grabbed my purse and his bag. He opened the door for me and let me go out first before closing the door behind us and locking it. We took the shortcut to the entrance of the school, and into the parking lot. A big smile formed on my face when I saw my mom standing by her car.

"Mom!" I said happily, as I go to her and we share a big hug.

"My baby." She says with a smile. "And those roses, they're beautiful."

I smile and look over at Roman who had a smile of his own. "They're from this wonderful guy, right here. Mom, this is my boyfriend, Roman. This is my mom."

"Nice to meet you." She said as they shook hands. "Cassandra's told us so much about you."

"Nice to meet you, too." He replied. "And she's mentioned quite a bit about you, too."

My mom smiled. "Cassandra talks wonders about you, so that's a good sign. I've never seen her so happy."

"Because I am happy." I say, looking over at Roman who's eyes are already on me as a smile plays across his lips.

My mom smiled as she watched the two of us. "Hey, now that I remember...we're planning a get together for dinner the weekend after this one coming up and I was wondering, as well as your father, Cassandra...Roman, would you like to join us?"

"I'd like that." I say as I look over at Roman. He looks over at me as if for confirmation that it'll be okay.

He then nods. "That sounds good. You'll see me there."

We talk for a few more minutes before my mom rounds the car to get into the drivers side. Roman opens the door for me and gives me a quick kiss before I get in. After handing me my purse, he makes sure I have everything before saying bye to me and my mom.

"He seems like a really nice guy." Says my mom. "I can see why you're falling for him."

"My heart runs marathons whenever I see him." I say as I smell the roses and smile. "I'm scared, though."

She looks over at me when we stop at a light. "Scared of what?"

"Falling in love." I tell her. "After David, I'm trying to be careful. I always thought that guys like Roman didn't exist after what happened with David. All I thought was that they just wanted one thing. But with Roman, it all feels different. He makes me feel alive. Happy. On top of the world. It all feels so amazing, but it's also so scary because I don't want to get hurt again. I'm surprised he hasn't lost interest in me, yet."

"You say it like he will." She says.

I look out the window. "Well that's what happened with David. He lost interest in me, and that hurts. Feeling like you're not worthy enough of someone's time and attention."

"Did you talk to Roman about how you're feeling?" She asks as she starts to drive again.

"I haven't told him that I'm falling in love and I'm not planning on saying that until I'm for sure and ready for that." I say as I prop the flowers against my purse to free my hands for a bit. "As for telling him what I'm afraid of when it comes to relationships, no."

"You should talk to him about it. At least give him some insight on your fears." She says. "Maybe that'll help out. You two have been together for what, almost three months now? You should try, especially because of your feelings for him."

I thought about the conversation that Roman and I had three weeks ago when I had gone over to his apartment to help take care of him. He had told me about what he was afraid of and we've been even better since. My mom did have a point.

 ***Roman's POV***

Cassandra and I walk hand in hand around the park as we make our way to a spot where we could sit and eat. I wanted to take her out on a date for lunch, and instead of going to a restaurant, I thought it'd be nice to just have a picnic.

"What made you decide for a picnic?" Cassandra asks after we find a place to sit on the grass and began to eat our sandwiches after sitting on a big blanket.

"I wanted to try something different and something that could be a bit more romantic with you." I tell her. "I don't know if I'm doing a good job at it, but I'm trying."

I feel her hand on the side of my face as she turns it so that I can face her. "Stop doubting that you're doing good, Roman. You've been doing great so far."

"I'm sorry." I say.

"Don't be." She tells me softly as she strokes my cheek. "I understand why. I just don't want you to beat yourself up when you're doing something for me out of fear that it won't be good enough, baby."

I brush my lips against hers before looking into her eyes. Cassandra looked absolutely beautiful today, even as she wore a light pink dress that reached her knees. Her hair was out and in waves down her back and flowed in the slight breeze that went by every now and then. Green eyes looking back at me as I took in every inch of her face and I knew in my heart that what I felt for her was real. And her Texas drawl that would sometimes come out as she talked that made me want to hear her talk for hours on end because of how attractive it is to me.

"I think it's sweet and romantic that we're doing a picnic." She tells me. "And I really mean that. I've never had a guy do a picnic for me before, so for you to be doing this means a lot to me."

"I didn't know that." I said.

Cassandra gave me a sad smile before taking another bite of her sandwich. "I've only dated two guys, but they weren't the best romantics out there. I never had a picnic with them even after I said I would love to have one. I've even dropped hints saying that I wanted one."

"How come you never told me?" I asked, taking a bite of mine.

"I was afraid, and still am that if I'm always asking for what I want, it would sound like I'm demanding." She tells me. "All the last guy ever told me was that I was too demanding because he felt I always wanted his attention, or wanting something from him. The truth was that once we got together, what he did to get me, he slowly stopped doing it to make sure he kept me."

My heart ached for her. "As if he wasn't interested anymore."

"Yeah." Cassandra softly says as she opens her soda and drinks some of it. "All it did was make me want more from him because he wasn't giving me enough. It's probably part of what pushed him away."

"I don't think you pushed him away, Cass." I tell her. "I believe it was him not seeing what he had and letting you go because he didn't appreciate what he had with you."

She sits closer to me and so I kiss her temple. "Remember three weeks ago when I asked what you were afraid of?"

"Yeah." I reply.

"I'm afraid that you'll lost interest in me. That you'll find someone else to put your time, energy and attention into because you get tired of giving those things to me." She says. "That you'll find someone who's prettier and smarter than me. Someone who's a better kisser and who can make you happier than what I try to make you. That you'll find someone who you can make love to. I never ask for anything because I've always been blessed with the things I've gotten, but for relationships, I don't know if I should or not."

"It's not possible, me losing interest in you." I tell her as I get her to face me. "You're absolutely beautiful and gorgeous. You're incredibly smart and that, in itself, is such a turn on for me. You're an amazing kisser and those lips of yours are undeniably irresistable to me. You, alone, are irrisistable to me. I'm going to give you all of my time, energy and attention because you mean so much to me. More than you know. No other woman has my attention like you do."

Her green eyes light up, though she remains with a sadness in her. "What if a girl shows up one day that you can make love to?"

I barely hear her words as they barely go up above a whisper. "Who said I didn't want to make love to _you_? Because the last time I checked, you're the only one I want to make love to."

"You do?" She asked, shyly as her cheeks turned red.

"Yeah. I won't have a problem showing you." I whisper in her ear.

Cassandra blushed intensly. "I don't want to rush it. The last time I did, I got my heart broken by someone who lost interest in me."

"I won't force you into it." I said, realizing that she had been intimate before. "And when the time comes, we'll take our time, too. All night if we have to."

"You like seeing me blush, don't you?" She asks, hiding her face so that I wouldn't see the shades of red and pink that were now covering her face.

I chuckle as I fix myself to where I'm sitting behind her and I wrap my arms around her. "It _is_ pretty cute and you still look beautiful when you do. I meant every word that I said, though."

"I like when you pay attention to me." She tells me after she leans into me. "And I like the time we spend together."

"I like it, too." I say.

She turns around to face me and we share a lingering kiss before finishing up our lunch. Afterwards, we managed to find a swing set that Cassandra didn't waste any time in making a beeline to. I smiled and quickly followed her to two swings that were in the shade. Putting the basket down that now held the blanket that we sat on, I got in the swing next to her and couldn't help but smile as she giggled. There was an innocence to her in that moment as the wind went through her hair as she swung back and forth. As if she didn't have a care or worry in the world about anything at that moment. Like she just wanted to be happy. _And loved._ I thought. I could give that to her and I could make love to her as well and give her all the love and attention in the world that she wanted. To make sure that she didn't worry about getting hurt or worry about losing me, ever.

On our way through the park to go back to my car, I held her hand in mine as our fingers were intertwined. We spent the walk just talking and sharing a few kisses as we did. I definitely liked how this felt.

"Are you looking forward to coming to dinner next weekend?" Cassandra asks me.

"Yeah, though I must admit that I'm a bit nervous." I tell her. "I mean, you've told me a bit about your family and all, but this will be the first time that I'm going to be face to face with them. As well as your dad. He's going to be tough, isn't he?"

She softly laughed. "Maybe, just a little. But that's because he's protective of me and he wants to make sure that I'm okay. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be fine."

"I hope." I say as we get to my car. I open the trunk of my SUV Tahoe after unlocking the car and put the picnic basket into the back before closing it. Cassandra helps me close the trunk before I go open her door for her. When I get in, I start the car and pull out of the parking a few minutes later, taking her hand in mine again and intertwining our fingers together.

"Are Jimmy and Jey still coming?" She asks.

I nod. "They said that their flight will be on Monday morning, so they should be here sometime in the afternoon. Naomi is coming, too and so is Jey's wife. Are you ready to meet them?"

"Yeah and I'm looking forward to it." She replies and I could hear the smile in her voice. "After talking to them on Skype a few times with you, you'd think I'd be fully prepared, but I'm nervous."

"Why? They really like you and they're looking forward to seeing you in person." I tell her, kissing the back of her hand as I keep my eyes on the road.

"I don't know. I just want them to like me." Cassandra tells me softly. "They're like brothers to you and yeah."

I smile hearing her giggle, though I knew she was being serious. "I'm sure they'll like you, baby."

 ** _The next day..._**

Cassandra and I were in WalMart to go shopping for a few things that we both needed. She wore a light green shirt that helped bring out her eyes a bit, with jean shorts that showed her long legs and sandles to match and her hair with two braids, one on each side, that ended when it connected with her ponytail. I dressed in a short sleeve shirt with jeans and sneakers as I had my hair out as it was still wet from my shower that I took before going to pick her up. Holding her purse as she fixed her sandles, I decided to keep holding it until we got inside. Cassandra picked a cart and started driving it after she took her purse and it in the space where you could sit a child.

"Look, they popcorn chicken." She says before we turn to where the sweets were. "Can you get me one?"

I go to where they have it and see that they also have some containers with chicken as well as a few more containers of popcorn chicken, along with popcorn shrimp. They were on two shelves that were under a bright light that helped keep it warm.

"I took two." I say as I walk back to her.

"You want some, don't you?" She asks with a smile as I put them near her purse.

I give her a quick kiss. "Of course, I do. I tried them one day when I came here with Dean and we finished the whole container."

"You and Dean." She says with a smile as we start walking.

I place my hand on the small of her back as we do while we do. Stopping by the bread, I start hearing my name being called. Looking around, I see the one person I was hoping to not see again.

"Hey, it's nice to see you." Megan said to me with a smile before her eyes land on the woman standing by my side.

"Hi." I said, without the same enthusiasm. "Megan, this is my girlfriend, Cassandra."

Her smile falls a bit as she looks over at her again and as she sees the smile on my face when I look over at her. I wrap my arm around her waist to keep her close.

"And Cassandra, this is Megan." I said before clearing my throat. "My ex."

"Hi." She said, as I felt her tense up a bit.

Megan stays quiet for a moment. "Can we talk for a moment?"

"About what?" I ask.

"Over here. In private." She says.

I calmly deny while keeping my arm securely around Cassandra's waist. "Megan, I'm sorry but we can't talk. I thought I made it clear the first we saw each other again, that it would be the last time that we would. I even told you that I'm in a relationship now, as you can see. I don't really have anything for us to talk about."

"Okay. Fair enough." She says as she backs up a bit. Seeing a man walk over in our direction, though he keeps his distance, giving us a chance to talk. It wasn't the guy that I had seen her with two months after we broke up. It was someone new even though I didn't know the status of their relationship, if any existed and I didn't care to know. "But, Cassandra...that's your name, right? Make sure he does everything right. If he doesn't, don't be afraid to walk away and let him think about his mistakes."

"Is that how you show that you love someone?" Cassandra asks, taking me by surprise.

Megan shrugs. "I see nothing wrong with that."

"Then I see why you don't deserve him." She replies, before turning around and walking away.

"What the hell is your problem?" I ask Megan. "Listen, I'm not looking for any problems. _You're_ the one who came up to me and talked to me. We don't have a reason to talk anymore, Megan. We never did since we broke up. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go back to my girlfriend."

Leaving her, I reached Cassandra who took a bite out of one of the popcorn chickens. "I'm sorry about that, I didn't know she would be here."

"I know." She whispers. "Don't listen to what she said about me making sure you do everything right."

"I won't." I say softly.

Cassandra takes my arms and wraps them around her waist, as hers go around my neck. "I got you and you got me. Don't worry about what she says. I'm perfectly happy with you and with the way that you are. You're amazing, okay, Roman? And I have you all to myself."

"Yeah?" I ask with a big smile on my face. She nods with a smile of her own. I lean down and eagerly take her lips with mine for a kiss, not caring who sees.

 **A/N: What did you think of Roman surprising Cassandra with roses? What about her mom inviting him to dinner with the family? How do you think that will go? And what about when Cassandra finally meets Jimmy and Jey in person? What about him wanting to try something new with doing a picnic? Was it a good idea for Cassandra to give a little bit of insight as to what she was afraid of and why? Do you think he'll make sure to reassure her that it's her that he wants? How do you think Roman and Cassandra handled seeing Megan?**


	10. Chapter 10

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed on the previous chapter and to those who put this story on their favorites and alerts!**

 ***Roman's POV***

Getting to the local diner, I looked at my watch and realized that Jimmy and Jey would be here at any minute with their wives. I couldn't wait to see them. Though we Skype whenever we can, this would be the first time since moving here to Texas that we'll get to hang out before they have to get back home.

"They'll be here, soon." Cassandra tells me as she looks up at me.

"I know. I can't wait, though." I tell her with a smile.

Showing that beautiful smile of hers, I take her in my arms. Cassandra wore a short blue dress that stopped a few inches above her knees and jean shorts underneath. Her long, brown hair was in a neat, French braid and her eyes had a clear hint of blue in them. We share a kiss before seeing a car show up in the parking lot.

"ROMAN!" Exclaimed Jimmy and Jey when they get out of the car after parking it.

"I knew you guys would make it!" I exclaimed, seeing them and their wives.

We all greet each other before I turn my attention back to Cassandra. I grabbed her hand and she stepped beside me with a bit of a shy smile.

"Guys, this is my girlfriend, Cassandra." I tell them. "Cassandra, this is Jimmy, Jey, Naomi and Julissa."

They all greet each other and happily took her in as if they've known her for a long time. As we made our way to the entrance of the diner, I walked behind with my cousins. After ordering, we spent some time talking about how our days were going and whatnot before they started wanting to get to know Cassandra better.

"You're a teacher, right?" Asks Jimmy.

"Yes. I teach high school English to juniors and seniors." She tells them. "I love what I do."

She snuggles up to me and I kiss her temple before wrapping my arm around her shoulder. "She's really good at what she does. You don't know how many of my guys talk about how much they like her."

"What made you want to go into teaching?" Asked Naomi.

"I was always shy growing up. Like, painfully shy." Cassandra replies. "As I got older and as my little sisters came along, I would always teach them things and when I started doing summer camp, I just loved the feeling even more that you get when you teach something. The feeling of accomplishment knowing that you were able to allow someone to gain knowledge. I don't know how to explain, I just love the feeling that comes with teaching. It did help me a bit with my shyness, though I still have my moments like Roman knows."

"Roman hasn't had the best of luck when it comes to relationships." Said Jey as our food comes along. We thank the waiter before he leaves and go back to our conversation. "From the time that we've spent talking and getting to know you better over the last few weeks before coming here, you seem like a really good woman and the fact that you're making him this happy, I'm glad that he's found you. How can we feel confident in knowing that you're good for him? I already know that you are, just by the conversations that we've had with you, but how can you set that in stone to the rest of us who haven't met you yet?"

"I can't promise that we won't have our arguments or that we won't have disagreements about some things because what couple doesn't? But what I can promise and assure you of is that I will try my best to make him the happiest that I can make him. I don't see just this Samoan badass with the long hair and the tattoo with the muscles and the abs. I look at Roman and I see a guy who deserves a woman who will give him her whole heart. A woman who will take care of his heart and him in general. A woman who is willing to give him her all and a woman who he can look at and see, not only just a girlfriend. But his best friend. His future. A woman that he can count on for anything."

"His future, huh?" Jey asked with a smile.

I look over at Cassandra and see her cheeks get some color to them. I smile, realizing why and I feel just pure joy filling my whole body.

"Roman, where'd you find her?" Naomi asked with a smile. "You should have came to Texas sooner."

"Right?" I asked and we all laughed a bit. Cassandra and I lock eyes and the rest of the world disappeared around us. "I should have."

I touch my nose with hers before I give her a kiss. It wasn't always that I didn't mind a little PDA. I've always been private about my relationships and while a part of me still is when it comes to my relationship with Cassandra, I also don't mind showing that she's mine.

 _ **That night...**_

"I remember you saying that you saw Megan here." Said Julissa. "How's that been?"

"You don't even know." I said, shaking my head. "I don't know if I mentioned it yet because it just recently happened. Cass and I were shopping for a few things that we needed and guess who we saw?"

Their eyes widened as I nodded. "Megan. We had literally walked into WalMart like about five minutes earlier and I heard someone calling my name. I looked and it was her. I didn't know she was going to be there."

"So Cassandra finally met her?" Asked Naomi. "How did that go?"

I scratch my head. "They didn't fight. They didn't argue. They didn't make a scene. All they did was just say a few words to each other which I'm glad that it's all that happened. You know how Megan can be. I don't want to put Cassandra through that."

"Hey, there's people out there man, who don't respect other people's relationships." Jimmy said. "Be careful with Megan. If she's really here for the long haul, make sure she doesn't do some crazy stuff."

"I don't want to spend my whole relationship with Cassandra having to worry about another person trying to ruin it." I said. "Megan's out her mind if she thinks that she'll ruin it for me. I don't know if I'll see her again, but until that day comes, I'm just thinking about meeting Cassandra's family this weekend."

"It was bound to happen." Jey said. "Are you excited or nervous?"

I think for a moment. "Both, but I'm more nervous though. Especially when it comes to her dad."

"You'll do good." Naomi said as she gives me a look before looking at everyone else.

"What?" I ask.

She shrugs. "Do y'all see what I see when I look at Roman?"

"Absolutely. He's got it bad for Ms. Cassandra." Says Jimmy with a big smile.

"Oh, come on." I say, not being to hide the smile on my face. It wasn't long before I admit that I do. "Okay, yes I do have it bad for her. I didn't know I could be this happy. The way just one look at her could make my stress and my bad mood just disappear. The way her laugh, her smile, the way it just brightens my day. She's the first person I think about in the mornings. The last one I think about at night. I really lo...I really look forward to what's to come with her."

Over the next few days, we spent at the beach or the pool and even going to the amusement park today. Cassandra came with us for two of those days and even got to spend some girl time with Naomi and Julissa.

Tonight was no different as we were at Cassandra's apartment for dinner with Dean being able to make it. I set up the table while Cassandra set everyone's plate and before I picked up the first plate, I hugged her from behind and lightly kissed her shoulder.

"You okay, baby?" I asked her, feeling her lean against me. "You've been quiet all day."

"I'm okay. Just in one of those moods." She replies.

I rested my chin on her shoulder. "What mood is that?"

"It's nothing." Cassandra softly says. "I just want to curl up in bed and cuddle."

"We can do a lot cuddling tonight." I whisper in her ear and kissing her neck.

She turns around to face me as she softly laughs and wraps her arms around my neck. "Good. I'll be looking forward to that."

We share a kiss before we let everyone know that dinner was ready. We managed to fit a few more chairs around the dining table to accommodate everyone. Before I knew it, we were telling stories about family vacations and get together.

"Have you seen Roman's pictures of when he was a kid?" Asked Jimmy.

"No, I haven't." Cassandra said with a smile. "You have some?"

He took out his phone and looked through it before giving it to her. "You seriously have a picture of me as a kid?"

"Hey, it's our favorite picture." He tells me as he laughs a bit. "It's the three of us after a football game."

"Aww, you look so cute." She says with a smile as she looks at the picture.

I lean over and see that it was me with Jimmy and Jey after playing a football game. Instantly remembering that day, I realized that it really was a favorite picture of mine as well.

"We won that day, I think, didn't we?" I asked.

"Yup." Said Jey. "I don't remember the score but I know we kicked some serious ass."

We laugh before Jimmy got his phone back after Dean saw the picture. I'm glad he was here because he had become my best friend since I got here and with me wanting to spend as much time with my cousins and their wives as I possibly could before they went back home, I didn't get to see him much like I usually did.

As the night went on, the conversation and the laughter didn't stop. I would occasionally steal glances at Cassandra who was enjoying the stories as she listened in to them. Then I remembered how I almost let it slip the first night that they got here, the L word. I don't know if I was ready just yet, to say it, but I was getting there.

After desert, I had left with Dean, my cousins and their wives. Though Dean had gone in his own car, I had bought everyone else back to my apartment. After going upstairs, I grab an overnight bag and put in my toothbrush and some clothes for tonight and tomorrow.

"We're going to head back to the hotel." Said someone from behind. Looking back, I see that it's Jimmy who was standing by the door. "You need anything before we leave?"

"No, I think I'll be alright." I tell him.

"Okay. So we'll see you tomorrow?" He asked. I nod and follow him out to the living room to make sure they were okay before they left.

"By the way," Jey said. "We really like Cassandra. She's a sweetheart and she treats you right. Make sure you hold on to her. It's rare to find a woman like that these days, no matter where you are. We approve."

"I will." I said. "I'm lucky and thank you guys for taking the time out to come here and meet with her and Dean as well. I'm glad you guys like both of them."

"Roman and Cassandra, sittin' in a tree..." Jimmy and Jey started singing. "K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love, then comes marriage..."

"Okay, okay. Goodnight." I said, ushering them out the door as I shake my head with a smile.

Letting out a sigh when I close the door and lock it, I take a shower before I finished getting ready to go back to Cassandra's house. Dressing in just a wife beater and basketball shorts, I make my way up to her apartment and I knock on the door. Moments later, she answers wearing shorts and a tank top with her hair in a braid.

"A certain someone said she wanted to curl up and cuddle." I said as I walked in. "I was wondering if I could be the one she cuddles with."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." She says, wrapping her arms around my neck.

She squeals when I pick her up and her long legs wrap around my waist. I take her to the living room and see that she had blankets and pillows laid out on the floor with the television on. Putting her down, I quickly put my bag in her room and take off my shoes before going back to her and laying next to her. I didn't waste any time letting her cuddle up to me when I take her into my arms. I shower her with kisses before we put our attention to the television. I wouldn't mind spending a night like this with her.

"I know I said I wanted to cuddle in bed, but I wanted to watch television first." Cassandra says. "When we're finished here, we can go to bed, if you'd like."

"I'd like that." I say with a smile. She gives me a kiss and curls up against my body to cuddle again. Definitely a good night.

 _ **That weekend...**_

I drove into a gated community as I listened to Cassandra's directions on how to get to her dad's house. We passed by houses with lawns that were neatly cut and well kept. I had my few choices on which houses I really liked, based on their outside appearance, though it was nothing compared the house that we stopped at. Pulling into the driveway and parking in an empty spot, I turn the car off and looked in awe at the house before me.

"Damn, this looks like a mansion." I mumble as I take off my seat belt. The house had two floors and it was made of bricks and concrete and the lights were on inside. I got out of the car and stepped unto neat, and clean, pavement that was lined with small lights up from the entrance of the driveway to the garage door that was a bit further ahead. Another part of the house, was a small balcony with four long pillars on the first floor for a room that was there and a balcony for what looked like a bedroom, upstairs. A little further beyond that

"You okay?" Cassandra asks when she walks up beside me.

Looking into her eyes, I felt at peace, though it couldn't take away all of the nervousness that I had inside. Feeling her arms around my waist, I leaned down and kissed her lips. "I'm okay. Do I look presentable?"

"You look very handsome." She tells me with a smile. I look down at my white, button down shirt with dark blue jeans and black dress shoes. I had my hair neatly put back into a bun and I had shaven.

"You look so beautiful tonight, baby." I tell her. Looking at her, I see the beige dress that she's wearing. It reaches slightly above her knees, but still long enough to cover enough. It's made of lace and waves in and out. The top part of the dress had a design of hearts and stars with more lace material in it, and with a few beads, stopping by the sweetheart neckline. She wore a necklace with a heart on it and her sandles were of a darker shade of beige with beads making out a design. Her long, brown hair in curls that cascaded down her back.

Cassandra gives me that beautiful smile of hers before I lean down to give her another kiss. She wipes off some of her lip gloss left behind on my lips from hers before we hold hands and intertwine our fingers. Walking beside a few cars, we get on a little path that goes from the driveway to the front door that was also lined up with small lights.

When we did get to the entrance, on each side, there was a light on the pillars that were made of concrete and a small bush in front of the windows that were on each side. It was neatly trimmed and well kept. Going further in until we reached the door, I saw that it was two large doors with a large window on each one. Cassandra rang the doorbell and we waited a few moments before someone finally answered the door.

"Hi, Gunner." Cassandra said when a tall guy opened the door. He was wearing a plain red shirt with jeans and sneakers and looked a bit similar to her.

"Hey, sis. It's nice to see you." The guy said as he gave her a hug and when they pulled away, he looked over at me. "Is this the lucky guy you've been talking about?"

Cassandra grinned. "Yes. This is Roman and Roman, this is my brother, Gunner."

"Nice to meet you." I said as we shook hands.

"Nice to meet you, as well." He said with a smile. "Come inside."

When we did, I couldn't help but look around at the foyer when we did. The floor was white and marble and the walls were white and there was what seemed to be a closet nearby with a small bench beside it. There was a huge chandelier hanging from the ceiling that was on and sparkled with the light. Walking in a little further, there was a huge staircase that curved to the second floor. The staircase had black railings all the way up and wooden steps. The smell of food filled the air and noises of chatter and laughter filled the air.

"Hi, mom." Cassandra said with a smile, when the same blonde woman with a long, sun dress and her long, blonde hair out like her daughter.

"Hey, sweetheart." She said, giving her daughter a hug. I saw the similarities in the way they looked and smiled at their interaction. "It's nice seeing you, again. I'm glad you could make it tonight."

"Thank you for inviting me." I said, shaking her hand. We walked to the living room where everyone else was. The room was huge as there was a large, flat screen television propped up on the wall with speakers, one on each side. Suede sofas that were a cream color with white marble floors. There was a smaller chandelier in there with a table in the middle that had a vase full of flowers and a few magazines. I saw pictures on the wall and smiled when I saw one with what looked like Cassandra when she was a little girl. She was in her gymnastics uniform and holding a gold medal and a huge smile on her face.

"Cass!" Exclaimed three little girls as they came running up to her. _Her little sisters._ I thought, remembering them from that one time that I had seem them with her.

After being introduced to everyone, I knew there was one person missing. I looked around a bit until I heard a deep voice filling the room. Turning around, I saw a large man with a grey shirt, jeans and boots with a bandanna on his head. His tattoos still on his arms and after years of seeing him on television, I was finally seeing the legend himself, who was simple known to Cassandra as 'dad'.

"Hi, daddy!" She happily exclaimed, before quickly going into his arms. He gave her a big smile as he hugged her and kissed her head. When she pulled away, she looked up at him and gave him a big smile after he had said something to her. I couldn't help but smile as I saw how much love she had for her father. Seeing him turn his attention to me, I felt the nervousness shift into high gear. "Dad, this is Roman. My boyfriend."

"Nice to meet you, sir." I said, extending my hand out as I hear everyone quiet down a bit.

"Nice to finally meet you." He replied, taking my hand and keeping a firm grip on it before we let go. Cassandra pokes her head from behind her father and looks from him to me. The talking resumes after his wife asks if everyone's ready for dinner. I take a look back at Cassandra who gives me that smile of hers that calms my nerves a bit.

Going into the kitchen after placing my hand on the small of her back, my mind just keeps getting blown away at how amazing this place looks. The kitchen, in itself is almost bigger than my whole apartment. Granite counters with stainless steel sink, refrigerator, stove and two ovens that were next to the stove with another one connected to the actual thing. There was an island in the middle of the kitchen with a granite counter and black chairs. A large dining room was next to the kitchen with a mahogany table and chairs of the same material around the table. Everything was clean and spotless and Cassandra was right about this place. It had a family feel to it that helped make it warm and inviting.

Grabbing a plate, I look at all of the food that's in front of me. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, baked mac and cheese with rice and BBQ style beans. As each person got their plate, little by little, the dining room filled up. I pulled out Cassandra's chair for her and took a seat next to her when she took hers.

"So, Roman. I hear that you're a football coach at Houston High and that you got the team to end the season on an undefeated streak." Mr. Calaway said a few minutes into our dinner. "What made you get into coaching football?"

"I've played football since I was seven years old." I tell them. "So I loved the sport every since I was little. I got a scholarship to Georgia Tech for football and so I played all throughout college, starting for three years, but when going pro didn't work out for me after I graduated, I took up coaching. I thought it was a way for me to still be somewhat involved in something I love."

"What if coaching didn't work out for you?" Asked his wife, Michelle. "What were you going to do then?"

I took a sip of my soda and looked over at her. "I majored in Business Management and graduated with a degree in that. So if the whole coaching thing was to not work out either, I would have stuck with that." I tell her. "I made sure that I had something to fall back on in case that didn't work out for me."

"Where you from?" Asked Gunner, Cassandra's older brother.

"Born and raised in Pensacola, Florida." I replied.

"What made you come all the way out here?" Asked their father, who eagerly awaited my answer as we ate our food. "It's a long way from Florida."

I nod. "It is. But I was going through a lot, mentally and emotionally in the time leading up to me coming out here. I was bummed out that I wasn't able to go pro, and then having to go back home from Georgia and feeling like I went from having all this freedom, to feeling like I was stuck again. Then you add in a failed relationship that did more harm than good. My dad and I always on opposite sides of the page when it came to everything. Things were just building up and I so after I got myself together and things calmed down, I just packed up and left."

"Without a game plan on what you would do or where you'd go once you got here?" He asked.

"Yes, sir." I said, in hesitation, not knowing how much of my past Cassandra has told any of them, if at all. She looks over at me and holds my hand under the table. I intertwine our fingers and squeeze them gently. "If it wasn't for Dean, who's my best friend and my brother, I don't know how well things would have gone for me. Doesn't mean that I didn't struggle though, because I did."

"Interesting." He simply says, before taking another bite of his food. The man wasn't showing much emotion towards me, and I understood in a way. I'm dating his daughter and they're still very close, from the looks of it.

"Ambrose?" Asked her mom. "He's a nice guy. A bit on the wild side, but nice. I like him."

Others agreed. I clear my throat and finished eating my food, before helping myself to seconds, as did a few others. After that, it was cheesecake for desert, which added the final touches to a good dinner. I felt like I couldn't move for a moment there, from so much food that I had eaten. I had offered to help clean up, though they convinced me to go spend some time with Cassandra in the living room. Going in, I see her sitting on one of the plush sofas with her little sisters as well as her niece and nephew, whom are her brothers kids. They sit there and look through a photo album.

"Look, it's Roman." Says one of the little girls as they all turn their attention to me.

"Hey, everyone." I say with a smile. "Do you mind if I look at the pictures, too?"

I smiled when they all said it was okay and so I made my way over to them. I kiss Cassandra on her cheek when I manage to get a seat next to her. Wrapping an arm around her shoulder, she snuggles closer to me and shows me the page that they're on.

"This is you?" I asked. It was a girl who couldn't have been older than 14, with Mr. Calaway. There was happiness in her eyes and her smile was genuine and big as she had her father's large arms hugging her.

"Yes. It was backstage at one of his shows." She tells me before pointing to one with her holding a little baby. "And this one was with Ms. Gracie."

The blonde little girl, giggled as she looked up at her older sister. Kaia, her youngest sister, climbed up to the sofa and crawled to her lap. "Look it, baby."

"Yeah, that was Gracie when she was a baby." Cassandra tells her. "You were that little, too when you were born."

Our eyes lock and our gazes linger on each other when she looks up at me with the most beautiful smile. She leans over slightly and touches my nose with hers.

"Is your dad always that serious?" I ask her.

"No." She replies with a smile. "It'll get better. You just have to get through tonight."

"I'm trying." I say.

"I know, baby, and thank you. I know it's probably a lot, with all of them here, but it means a lot that you're trying." Cassandra tells me before kissing my cheek.

Everyone comes back into the living room and takes their seats, everywhere else that's available. Mr. Calaway remains standing and looks around and smiling. I continue to see some of the pictures before he calls my name. I quickly look up and see that he signals for me to go over to where he was.

"Where you going?" Cassandra asks, watching as I get up.

She looks up at her father and gives him a little pout as he walks over and kisses her forehead. "Don't worry, darlin'. We're just going to talk. We'll be back soon."

"Okay." She softly says.

"It's fine." I tell her, kissing her cheek.

I followed Mr. Calaway and wondered what our conversation would be about and how serious it was, that he seemed to want it done in private.

 **A/N: How do you think their time went with Jimmy, Jey and their wives when they came into Texas? Do they seem to genuinely like Cassandra? Are you glad they approve of her and their relationship? How do you think Roman's handling dinner with Cassandra's family? Do you think her dad likes him yet, or is it too early to tell? What could her dad want to talk to him about in private?**


	11. Chapter 11

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed on the previous chapter and to those who put this story on their favorites and alerts!**

 ***Roman's POV***

Walking up the long flight of stairs, Mr. Calaway and I get to the second floor and I look around once more. The floors continued to be marble, and if you stood right in front of where the chandelier in the foyer was, you could see the entire foyer. Resting my hands on the railing, I took everything in and just stood there in awe.

"I take it, you like the house." A deep voice says from beside me.

"Yeah, this place is really nice." I tell him.

Silence went on for a few moments. "Let's go to my office."

"Okay." I said as I walked behind him.

We walked into a room that with plush carpets. There was a mahogany table in the middle of the room with a large chair behind it. On the desk, was a computer with a wireless keyboard and a wireless mouse and a few picture frames as well as some that were on the walls. Bookshelves lined the walls as well as some drawings that looked like they were made by his young daughters and possible grandchildren.

"You could have a seat." He says after closing the door behind him. I take a seat across from him and my nervousness kick in again after it had calmed down a bit. "When you came here to Texas, how'd you meet Dean?"

"I was sitting outside of the restaurant he worked in." I tell him as I look down. "I was there all night because I didn't have anywhere else to go, so I was thinking about what to do next. About where I could go."

He looks at me as he sits back in his chair. "You were homeless?"

"Yes, sir." I tell him softly. "I came here without a plan and without anywhere to go."

"For how long?" He asked.

I look up at him. "About eight months. When I applied to Houston High, I had been living with Dean for the last few weeks and continued living with him until I was able to find a place of my own."

"Does Cassandra know?" The man asks.

"Yes. I thought it was something that she needed to have known about me." I tell him.

"Let me guess, that didn't change her mind about you." He says.

I nod. "No, it didn't." Looking down at my hands, silence creeps in. "I want something long-term with her, in case you're wondering what my intentions are. I want to be able to make her happy and give her everything that she wants and needs. I don't know how I got her, but I'm more than proud that I am. Cassandra has my heart and I don't want to lose her. She's the best thing to ever happen to me."

"I know you're from a wrestling family." He says. "I know you just said that you want something long-term with Cassandra, but I want to be sure that it's not because of who her dad is. I don't want her to end up with a guy that, when he finds out what I do for a living, that he'll want to be with her for the fame that comes along with me and the character that I play on television. I've been in the wrestling business for over 20 years and I've seen people that only want someone for the fame. The money. I don't want someone like that for my daughter. I want someone who genuinely wants to be with her. Cassandra chose to be a teacher and I see why as I'm sure you do."

"Sir, I'm falling in love with your daughter." I tell him. "My feelings for her started before I knew that you're her dad and when I learned that she's your daughter, it didn't change my feelings or my intentions when it comes to her and our relationship. I'm falling in love with a woman who came along and showed me an opportunity at making my life better without even knowing what I had been through in the last eight months before we met. A woman who has a heart of gold and who shows it when she's at the soup kitchen helping out others in need. I respect you, sir. I always have and I always will. But I'm falling in love with Cassandra. One day, when I was little, one of my dad's friends asked me if I believed in magic. I told him 'no' and he said to me, 'you will when you see her.' For some reason, I sure as hell believe that he was right, the moment I saw her."

Mr. Calaway sat back in his chair and had a light in his eyes. "Cassandra's an adult and I know that she can take care of herself. But she's still my daughter and I'll still do anything to protect her. I saw tonight, the way you look at her. As if she's a gift from heaven. As if she's the best thing in this world. I've never seen anybody look at her like that. With such passion and desire. With love. I knew before you even said anything that you could already be in love with her. Show me that you're finally the one guy in her life that'll be different. That'll treat her the way she deserves to be treated."

Another half an hour passes by with us just talking before we make our way back downstairs, to join everyone. I make my way to Cassandra after finding her in the kitchen, with a cup of water. I suddenly feel calm and my nervousness is forgotten about as soon as I see her.

"Roman." She says with a smile. I couldn't help but give her a smile of my own as I take her in for a hug after she puts her water down. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, it's good." I say, wrapping my arms around her waist and nuzzling her neck. She giggles softly and I give her a kiss before pulling away. I think about my conversation with her father and how things went. It's a lot to process, but I'm glad it happened.

"Dad wasn't too tough on you, was he?" She asked, looking up at me. "I'm really sorry if he was."

I give her another kiss and continue to hold her in my arms. "Baby, it's okay. Your dad, he really loves you and he's really protective. He wants to make sure I'm a good guy. I understand, why's being tough."

"Yeah." Cassandra says softly before resting her head on my chest. It felt perfect having her in my arms and I didn't want to let her go.

We went into the living room and finished the night with her family and ended up playing some games before leaving. I keep Cassandra's hand in mine as we make our way back to her apartment, though there was something on my mind that her dad had bought up in our conversation. She picked up on my silence and just her being near me spoke to me.

"Can I ask why you're so quiet?" She asks me when we walk up the stairs to her apartment.

"I'm just thinking about getting in contact with my dad again." I tell her as we walk in. "I don't know how to go about doing it, it feels like forever since we last spoke. Talking with your dad tonight and seeing how close your family is, makes me miss my dad. And my mom."

"Is that something that you want to do? Getting in contact with them again?" She asks, when we go to her bedroom.

Without hesitation, I nod. "Yes. I think I'm going to ask Jimmy and Jey for their numbers, in case they changed it since I left. When I'm finally ready to call them, I'll call."

"I'll be here for you when you're ready to do that." Cassandra says, gently pulling me to her.

"Thanks." I say with a smile, as I kiss her deeply.

Picking her up, I carry her to the bed and broke the kiss to lay her down. Hovering over her, we kiss again and I feel her hands on each side of my face as we continue to kiss. Reluctantly pulling away, I hear her let out a sigh.

"I want you so badly." I whisper in her ear.

"Then why do you stop, every time?" She asks, barely above a whisper of her own.

I pull back and see her eyes searing mine. Her green eyes shine over, though she quickly blinks it away before I see anything else.

"I don't want to make you feel like I'm rushing you into it." I tell her.

"You're not. Why do you think I never stop you?" Cassandra as me as she moves from under me and sits up. Running her fingers through her hair, she looks over at me. "I'm just going to watch some television. You want to watch, too?"

Realizing the mood was over, and probably for the rest of the night, I agreed and watched some television with her. It wasn't until after midnight where I decided to go home when Cassandra wanted to go to bed.

 ***Cassandra's POV***

"What's wrong?" Kaitlyn and Samantha ask as we have a girls day out, getting manicures and pedicures after coming from spending the majority of the day at the beach before going to lunch afterwards. "You've been really quiet the last few days."

"I'm okay." I simply say, as I watch the woman doing my toes as the three of us sat on our chairs for our pedicures.

"Are you sure?" Samantha asks. "Did something happen between you and Roman?"

I shake my head. "Nothing happened. It's just one of those days when I just want to be quiet."

"Alright." I hear them say before not saying anything else before they went into their own conversations.

Truth is, my overthinking has been driving me crazy and I couldn't help it. After the way the night ended when Roman and I had dinner with my family, thoughts started coming into my mind that he may not have wanted me and I hated thinking that, because he hasn't given me a reason to think otherwise and I felt stupid for feeling that way. I was just looking forward to being with my little sister tomorrow, and though Roman was going to come along to spend the day with us, I just wanted to have that reassurance that he wanted me and in more ways than one. Taking out my phone, I look for Roman's number and decided to call him. It has been a few days since we last saw each other and though we've talked on the phone, I thought it would be best to do it in person.

"Hey, baby." Roman says, with a smile in his voice.

"Hi." I say with a soft smile of my own. "What are you up to?"

"Just watching some t.v with Dean. I was thinking about you." He replies.

I smiled. "Yeah? I've been thinking about you, too. I was wondering, though, if you could come over, later."

"Yeah, I'll come over. Does 8 o'clock sound good?" Roman asks.

"That sounds good." I tell him, seeing the girls give me a knowing look and me hiding my face. After a few minutes, we hang up and I go back to paying attention to the nail polish that's going on my toes. Twirling my hair around my finger, I started overthinking again. It made me glad that I asked Roman to come over, but I'm worried that I may come across as needy or demanding and I didn't want to push him away.

That night, I hear a knock on the door and when I look through the peephole, I see that it's Roman standing on the other side. Opening the door, I see him wearing his normal type of wear that consisted of a t-shirt and jeans with his hair in a bun, while I dressed in comfortable shorts and a sleeveless shirt. I walked around with slippers that showed my pedicure. He came in with a bag from the Spanish restaurant and gave me a kiss before I went to the kitchen to get something to drink for the both of us while he took out the food and set up the table. When we both sat down, I gave him a kiss on the cheek and saw that smile of his that I loved so much.

"I've missed you, today." He says before taking a bite of his fried plantains. "Did you have a good time with the girls?"

"Yeah, we went to the beach and then we went to lunch before going to get our nails and feet done." I said, showing him both. "And I missed you, too. How did you and Dean spend your day?"

"We went to the gym and then we went to lunch." He said. "We didn't really do much after that, except just sitting around."

I laughed softly. "I think you'd be okay with that as long as you're with someone you care about."

"You're right. And I don't mind lazy days every once in a while." He says with a chuckle. "I haven't seen you that much all week, though."

"My dad said that he and Michelle are going to leave a little earlier than they had planned to, because of the weather. If you want, I can pick you up." I tell him.

"You can come pick me up, I don't mind. Is your dad still okay with me coming over? I mean, I know he told me it was okay, but I want to make sure." He says.

"Yeah, he's okay with it." I said with a smile. After we finished dinner, we went to the living room and sat on the couch to watch some television.

"Are you sure you're okay, baby?" He asks, wrapping his arm around my shoulders when I curled up next to him on the couch after putting in a movie. "You've been really quiet the last few days when we talk, and you've seemed pretty distant. Did I do something wrong?"

I play with the bottom of his shirt when I lay my head on his chest. "I don't want you to think I'm being all needy or something."

"Why would I think that?" Roman asks.

Feeling a lump in my throat, I tried to blink back the tears that wanted to surface. "Ever since the last time you were here, I can't stop overthinking."

"About what?" He asks, cupping my chin so that I could look up at him. Concern filling his eyes.

"That you don't want me as much as I want you." I whisper to him, with tears reaching the brim of my eyes. "I want you in more ways than one and I feel like you don't want me."

"Why would you think I don't want you?" Roman asks. "Is it because of what happened after we came back from dinner with your family?"

When I didn't say anything, I quickly looked down again and felt a tear stream down my face before he cupped my face in his hands as he wipes away my tear. "Cassandra, why didn't you say anything?"

"Because I feel stupid for thinking that you don't when you haven't given me a reason to think that." I tell him as another tear runs down my cheek. "But I can't help it. Every time, you stop yourself, it makes me feel like you don't want to take that step with me and in turn, makes me feel like you don't want that with me. I didn't want you to worry."

"And me always stopping, doesn't help, does it?" Roman asks.

My bottom lip trembles, more tears spill over. "I like it because I know that you do it with good intentions and I know that you care about me. I don't have the best track record when it comes to guys. The last one never made sure that I knew how he felt about me, let alone that he wanted me. I had to watch him lose interest in me and nothing I did changed that and I'm scared that the same thing will happen all over again."

"Cass." He whispers as he wipes my tears with his fingers. Roman then kisses the trails left behind on my face from the tears and pulls me close. "I didn't know that it made you feel like that."

"I don't want you to feel bad, because you've been an amazing guy to me." I tell him. "I can't help it. I' m sorry."

Roman leans back and gently gets me on his lap. "You don't have to be sorry, baby. If anything, I'm glad you told me. I don't want you to ever feel like I don't want you, because I do. Trust me, I do. I just thought it was good if we didn't jump right into it."

"And it is." I tell him as he continues to wipe away my tears. "It was just overthinking that made me feel like this and I hate it because I don't want it to push you away."

"It won't, baby." Roman says as he gets my hair out of my face as he sits up. "Know that you have me for the long run. We're stuck with each other."

I feel my lips wanting to form a smile. Instead, I sniffle and wipe my face before he takes me into his arms as he leans back. I dig my face into his neck and feel a few more warm tears run down my face. Roman helps me sit up and takes my face in his hands again before he kisses my tears.

"Don't cry, baby." He whispers softly. "I'll show you how much I want you, I promise."

"I want it to be because you want to. Not because I said something." I tell him.

"Believe me, I want to." He says. "I'll show you."

I lay back in his arms and nuzzle his neck, before placing my head near his chest. Hearing the beat of his heart, I somehow managed to calm down. The television was forgotten about, as was whatever was on it. All I cared about right, now was being in the arms of the man that I was falling for more and more each day. Taking the hint, he stayed showering me with small kisses, occasionally playing with my hair and whispered a few sweet words in my ear. When the time came for him to go home, he held my hands when he turned to face me before opening the door.

"Tomorrow, I'm going to make you smile and laugh." He tells me. "And your little sister can join in and help me out. What do you say?"

"Yeah?" I ask, with a smile.

Roman takes me in his arms again before kissing my nose. "Yes. Just the three of us."

"I look forward to that." I tell him before his lips capture mine for a kiss.

 _ **The next day...**_

Being at my dad's house, Roman and I finish up with cleaning up as Michelle and my dad made sure they had everything they needed. When my dad came back into the kitchen, he had Kaia in his arms.

"We're going to go now." He said.

"Okay. Do you need me to take you to the airport?" I asked.

"No, that's fine. Steve's going to take us. You just relax and spend some time with this little cutie. You're going to be good for your sister and for Roman while we're gone, right?"

"Yes." Kaia replied with a big smile on her face.

"Steve's here." Michelle said when she came into the kitchen. "Are you ready to go?"

Putting Kaia down, she walks over to Roman and smiles up at him before walking over to me. I held her hand as we followed my dad and Michelle outside and to the driveway where the man, who was a family friend, was standing.

"Good morning, Cassandra." Steve said, who I had come to know because of always seeing him with my dad when I would go with him to his shows. He's a hall of famer who's known as Stone Cold Steven Austin.

"Good morning." I said with a smile before we share a hug.

He looks down and smiles when he sees Kaia holding on to my hand. "Good morning, pretty lady, how you doing?"

"Hi." She says as she giggles before going behind me and poking her head as he chuckles.

"We'll see you when we get home." My dad says, giving me a hug. "I love you, darlin'."

"I love you, too." I tell him, kissing him on the cheek. "Say bye to mommy and daddy, Kaia."

She pokes her head again from behind my legs and runs up to him before he scoops her up. "Daddy. Mama."

I smile as they interact with her before putting her down. My dad shakes Roman's hand and he thanks my dad for allowing him to come over.

"Take care of my girls." He tells Roman.

"I will." He replies.

We spent a few more minutes talking before they finally left. After watching them drive off with their friend, Roman and I went back inside with my sister in my arms. We went to the living room and turned on the television so that she could watch some cartoons.

"Are you feeling better after last night?" Roman asked me softly.

"Yeah and I wanted to say sorry. I didn't mean to just get all emotional like that and cry and stuff." I tell him.

He wraps his arm around my shoulder and I snuggle closer to him. "I understand your reason for it, though. Don't feel bad about it. I don't like seeing you cry, though, baby. I want to see you happy and to see that beautiful smile of yours."

"Even though I feel like a mess today?" I tell him, as I'm dressed in shorts with a sleeveless shirt, while he dressed in a grey shirt with shorts and his hair in a bun.

"You look beautiful, today." He says before kissing my cheek. "I don't want you to ever doubt how much I want you or care about you and I don't want you to ever doubt how much I want to be with you."

I smiled softly and looked over at my sister as she contently looked at what was on the television. "I know, baby. It was just my overthinking, that got the best of me. I hate when I do that."

"Don't beat yourself up about it." Roman says. "It's happened to me too, a few times. Can I take you out on a date next weekend? Just you and me on a romantic date."

"Romantic, huh?" I asked, looking up at him.

Roman nods and smiles. "Will you out with me next weekend?"

"I'd love to." I say, leaning up to give him a kiss. "You think the weather will hold long enough for us to take her to the Zoo?"

"It should." He says. "Did the weather channel say what time it was going to start raining, if it does?"

I think for a moment as I watch Kaia get up and walk over to us. She climbs up on the couch and then crawls into my lap. "I think they said early afternoon. We can check, just to make sure. If not, we can take her to the arcade or the museum."

"We could try the museum today and the Zoo tomorrow since the weather's supposed to be nicer, then." He suggests.

"That sounds good. We could go to lunch afterwards." I say. "You want to go to the museum today?"

Kaia nods when she looks up at me. "Is that where we went the last time with daddy?"

"Yeah, and you had a lot of fun, remember?" I asked.

"Okay. We go now?" She asks in her little voice.

"If you want." I tell her. "If not, we'll do something else."

"Museum." She says, looking up at me. "We go now?"

Roman chuckles. "We'll go in a little bit, okay?"

"Okay." She says before crawling back down and picking up one of her toys and occasionally playing with it, as she watches television.

"Thank you for coming." I say to Roman. "I know we had to wake up early to be here, but thank you."

"Anytime, baby." He tells me. "It gives me a chance to spend time with my girl and for Kaia to be more comfortable around me."

I touch his nose with mine. "I'm glad you're all mine, you know that?"

"I'm honored to be all yours." Roman says as he gives me a kiss. We both smile against each other's lips before pulling away. "And I'm glad you're all mine."

"Good." I say, playfully as we share another kiss.

 **A/N: How do you think Roman's talk with Cassandra's dad go? What about Cassandra feeling like she wasn't wanted? Is her over thinking about it to blame? What can Roman do to calm her fears about not being wanted? How do you think Roman and Cassandra's weekend is going to go with her little sister? Will they have a good time?**


	12. Chapter 12

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed as well as to those who put this story on their favorites and alerts!**

 ***Cassandra's POV***

"Babe, I got everything ready." Roman said as I walk into the kitchen with Kaia in my arms after helping her get dressed in shorts, a pink, short sleeve shirt and gummy sandles with her blonde hair in pigtails.

"You got the grapes, too?" I asked, seeing him putting her sandwich and juice into her little lunch bag.

He picks up a little bag with green, seedless grapes. "Got them. I made a sandwich for us, too, just in case. You look very pretty, Ms. Kaia."

"Thank you." She says, shyly, with a big smile on her face before wrapping her arms around my neck.

Roman and I share a kiss before making sure that we have everything we needed for the day, including umbrellas. When we get to my car, Roman puts the umbrellas in the trunk of my SUV Tahoe while I put my sister in her car seat with all of our snacks next to her.

"You got it?" Asked Roman after he closed the trunk and came over to me.

"Yeah, it's good." I replied before closing the door and looking up at him with a smile.

He smiles and gives me a long, sweet kiss before opening my door and helping me in. He then goes to the passenger's side as I turn on the car and we hear Kaia squeal in the back. Looking back at her, she grins and giggles, making us both laugh.

When we get to the museum, Roman takes Kaia out of her car seat while I grab an umbrella since it started to drizzle on our way here. He hands me her lunch bag as he takes ours while he puts her down so that she could walk. Grabbing my hand, she walked beside me as we made our way to the entrance.

"Look it, dinosaur!" Exclaimed Kaia when she points at it, while we walked inside.

"Yeah, that's the skeleton." I said, after seeing the skeleton of a T-Rex. "You know what kind of dinosaur that is?"

"A very big one." She says. I couldn't help but smile as Roman chuckled.

Roman takes a picture of Kaia and I before we bend down next to her when we walk up to the display and read the information that the display had about it.

"So what kind of dinosaur is it?" Roman asked her, pointing at the display.

"It's a T-Rex." She replies in her tiny voice.

I watch as he smiles at her. "Good job. Let's go see what else we can find here."

We got pay for our tickets and we make our way to the entrance that was near by to get into the rest of the museum. When Kaia starts running ahead of us, I quickly call out her name.

"You are not running around, in here." I tell her. "Stay close to me and Roman, okay?"

She grabs my hand and walks beside us as Roman places his hand on the small of my back. We make our way through the sea of people until we get to where they have the exhibits on sea animals.

"Fishies!" Exclaims Kaia when we stop at a window that had a few sting rays.

"What color is it?" Asked Roman, picking her up when we saw that she was trying to tip-toe to see better.

I get closer to them and smile when Roman kisses my forehead, wrapping an arm around my waist. Kaia looks at the stingrays and looks around before saying anything.

"They look grey." She says.

"What kind of fish do you think it is?" I asked.

"Um, is it a stingray?" She asks. "I think I've seen them on t.v."

"Yup and they have stingers on their tail." I tell her.

"What's a stinger?" Kaia asks.

I kissed her cheek. "It's what some animals use, a lot of times for self-defense. Like bees or jelly fish."

"Self-defense?" She asks.

"Yeah, they feel like they're in danger so the stingrays use their tail and the stinger that they have in it, to defend themselves." Roman says.

After we left that exhibit, we were going to make our way to another one when we saw Megan coming in the opposite direction. We made sure to avoid her and get lost in the crowd of people that were there. Roman and I look at each other after we managed to get out of her field of vision and he gives my waist a squeeze before kissing my cheek.

"That's a cat." Said Kaia when we got into the exhibit that showed African animals. "A very big cat."

"Yeah, and that looks like the mom." I said. "You see how she has her three babies with her? They're called cubs."

"The babies are cubs?" She asks when she reaches out for me. "They're so tiny."

I lean into Roman when he hugs me from behind and I smile when he kisses my cheek. "Cubs can be very tiny when they're born. The moms can be very protective of their cubs though, like all mommies are. These cats are called leopards, though. When the mom goes hunting, she hides the cubs somewhere safe, so that she can go get food for them. When she comes back, she does this little call and when the cubs hear her, they do the same thing so that the mom could hear them, too. That helps the mom find them and know that they're okay. She hides them in what some would call a den. It's like a little cave and they hide there until the cubs are about three months old."

"Why doesn't she take them with her to get food?" Kaia asks.

"Maybe she wants to make sure that they're safe and that they don't get hurt while she gets them something to eat. When their born, they can't really see that well until a few days after their born and that, along with them being so small, mommy takes care of them until they're old enough to start learning how to do things, so when the time comes, they can do it by themselves." Roman says.

Kaia reaches out and I get her closer so that she can touch the window before pulling her back. "They have a lot of spots."

"Yeah and for every leopard, their spot pattern is a bit different from the next leopard." He tells her. "And it can help people know if it's the same cat or a different one, especially those who study them."

"That's cool!" She says with a light in her eyes. She looks at them again and smiles. "They look pretty. Can I have one?"

"As pretty as they are, they're not meant to be house pets." I said with a smile. "And I don't think daddy will be okay with having one in the house."

"Do they get as big as their mommy?" Kaia asked.

"Yes and some of them can grow to be a little bigger." I tell her. "And what does this cat look like?"

We get to the next display that shows a pride of lions. There was the oldest male, with the mane around his face, adult females and a lot of cubs of different ages and sizes.

"That's lions!" She said in awe. "The one with all that hair is so big."

"Yeah, that's the male lion and he's a fully grown adult. The females are called lioness. You see all the cubs that's with them?"

"Is it the tiny ones?" She asked.

Roman stands on the side of me that's holding Kaia, to better show her as he looks at the information in front of the display, to help explain it better to her. "It's the tiny ones. But there's more cubs there. You see the ones that are a little bigger, but are smaller than the adults? They're cubs, too. They start hunting when they're 11 months, but they stay with their mom until they're two years old."

"Cass, can we have one of these?" She asks me.

"You think they're pretty, don't you?" I ask with a smile.

"Yes." She says with a big grin before giggling.

When we finished with that exhibit, we found a cafeteria and took out Kaia's sandwich, grapes and juice from her lunch bag after finding a table. Roman handed me my half of the sandwich he made for us and we share a kiss before eating.

"Is this your little girl?" Asked a woman, loud enough for us to hear.

Looking around, we see that it was Megan. I roll my eyes as I turn around to face Roman and make sure that Kaia's okay with her food.

"Megan, what do you want?" Roman asked.

"I was just asking if to see who's little girl that was." Megan replied before looking over at me. "You don't like me, do you?"

Looking over at her, I shrugged. "Should I have a reason to not like you?"

"We don't know each other, so why shouldn't you?" She asked.

"We don't know each other, and you're his ex and , so why should I?" I asked.

Megan looked at me and then at Roman. Seeing that he had a smile on his face as he looked over at me. When she left, he leaned over and gave me a kiss and a wink with that wicked smile of his. I felt my face grow warm until we heard Kaia talking. We smile when we realized that she was talking about the exhibit that we had just finished seeing before coming. When we finished eating, we threw away our garbage and went to finish walking around the museum when we bumped into Megan, yet again. When the man that she was with stepped closer to her, I felt Roman step slightly ahead of me and Kaia.

"Easy there, nothing's going to happen." Megan said.

"Come on, Megan." Said the man that was with her.

I pulled Kaia closer to me as I looked over at Roman. His eyes, grey and intense as he looked on at the man. Looking down, I see my sister looking up before she starts looking around.

"Roman." I whisper softly, touching his arm with my hand. He looks over at me and then looks down at Kaia.

"You want to go check out some other things?" He asks Kaia when he bends down to talk to her.

She gives him a smile and nods. "Yes."

"Okay, come on." He replies with a smile. She takes both of our hands and we start to walk. I look back and see Megan still standing there, watching us.

 ***Roman's POV***

"Ready to go see your sisters?" I asked Kaia when she came downstairs and climbed up onto the couch, to sit next to me.

"Yes." She says in her tiny voice, with a smile on her face. Kaia wore a red shirt with beige shorts with sandles and her hair in two braids that met a single braid. "And we get to go bowling, too!"

I chuckle. "Did you have fun yesterday, at the museum?" I asked her.

"Uh-huh." She said, nodding. "I liked seeing the dinosaur and the animals. I had fun today, too. I like going to the zoo."

"Did you like feeding the animals?" I asked her.

"Yeah, that was really fun!" She replies, excitedly. "But their tongue tickled my hand and felt all slimy."

I smile and when I look up, I see Cassandra walk into the living room with a white, spaghetti strap shirt, and a maxi skirt. Her long hair was in a neat ponytail and she had her purse with her. I swear, it felt like everything around me was slowing down for a moment in time.

"You ready to go, Ms. Kaia?" She asked.

"Yeah." Kaia replied. She climbed off of the couch and quickly walked over to Cassandra to take her hand.

Cassandra looks over at me and gives me that smile of hers, making my heart beat a little faster. Getting up, I walk over to her and give her a kiss before tracing her jaw with my finger tip. She smiles up at me and touches my nose with hers before our hands find each others, to intertwine our fingers. When we get outside, I help Cassandra put Kaia in her car seat before opening her door.

"You look beautiful." I tell her.

"Thank you." She says with a smile as her color fills her cheeks.

I cup her face and stroke her cheeks with my thumbs. Cassandra leans into my hands and closes her eyes. I shower her face with kisses and saw that beautiful smile again, making my heart beat faster.

"Cass." We hear Kaia say from inside the car.

"I'm here, sweetie." Cassandra tells her, when she looks in the car. "I haven't gone anywhere."

Kaia smiles at her and makes a silly little face with her older sister. They both start laughing and I couldn't help but smile. After she gets in the car, I close the door and hear the engine as she turns on the car while I get in the passengers side. I turn on the radio and then look back a few minutes later, to see Kaia looking out the window and enjoying the music.

When we get to the bowling alley, we take Kaia out of her car seat and hold her hand while we walk through the parking lot to get to the entrance. Getting inside, we spot Cassandra's mom and her two little sisters and we go over to them and greeted them. Quickly getting our bowling shoes, we put them on before helping Kaia with hers and see her trying to tap.

"Kaia, be careful. It can be slippery with those shoes, okay?" Cassandra said, making sure she doesn't fall.

"Okay." She replies in her tiny voice.

I smile hearing her giggle, and make my way over to Cassandra. "How's my baby?"

"I'm good." She replies with a smile. "I want to curl up in front of the television and cuddle."

"We can do when that when we get back to your dad's house." I tell her, kissing her nose. "Maybe some kisses, too."

"You like kissing me, don't you?" Cassandra asks with a smile.

I give her a grin. "Yes. I really like kissing those lips of yours. I just can't help myself."

She slightly leans up and I met her half way to capture her lips with mine. I rest my hands on her waist and deepened the kiss. Reluctantly pulling back after remembering where we were, I hold her in my arms and I just loved how perfectly she fit in them. As if it was made for Cassandra to be in my arms and i wouldn't mind keeping her there for a long time.

"Let's bowl!" Said Chasey and Gracie when they were ready. Their mother gave us a smile when she looked over at us and helped Kaia with a ball that she attempted to carry with her tiny hands.

Kaia managed to throw the ball with both hands and though the ball went slowly down the lane, it managed to his a few of the pins. Though it didn't fail to hit the rails, she was just happy that it hit the pins. I hugged Cassandra from behind as Chasey and Gracie went next, followed by their mother and then her, with me going last.

"Things seem to be going good between the two of you." Cassandra's mother said when she stood beside me, watching the girls interact as they take turns.

"It is." I say with a smile. "It's going great. I never thought I'd find happiness again when it came to relationships and with her, it's like...it's just amazing. I don't know what other words to use, but know that it's been amazing."

When it was our turn to bowl, we took our turns and she celebrated a strike. Looking over at me, she gives me a smile. "I'm glad the two of you came into each other's lives. You're good for her. I know her dad's a bit tough, but it'll get easier. He's just protective of his daughter. She's still his princess."

"I know and I understand that." I tell her. "Cassandra's still his little girl and I respect that. I just want him to see that I really do want to be with her and that she makes me happy. I don't want him to think I'm with her for the wrong reasons."

"Just keep showing him what you're showing me." She tells me. "Show him that you're happy with her. That what you feel for her is genuine and real. That you make her happy, because you really do make her happy. Cassandra smiles so much when she's with you, it makes me think her face is going to stay like that."

I laugh softly." She makes me smile, too. Every single day and that's something I love about her."

"It's been almost 4 months." I replied. "We make 4 months this weekend. I'm planning on taking her out this weekend to celebrate it."

"Congratulations." She tells me with a smile. "And I'm sure she'll like whatever you have planned."

I give her a smile of my own. "Thanks."

"And Kaia seems to like you, so expect her to give a good review to her father." She adds.

"I'm glad to know that." I tell her, chuckling.

 **A/N: How do you think their weekend together went? Do you think Kaia really likes Roman? Do you think Cassandra has a reason to like Megan? What do you think Roman has planned for their four month anniversary weekend?**


	13. Chapter 13

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed as well as to those who put this story on their favorites and alerts!**

 ***Roman's POV***

Dean and I sat in our favorite pizza shop, waiting for our slices that we ordered after working up an appetite at the gym earlier today. While we waited, we joked around and laughed as if there was nobody else in the place. When our pizzas were finally done, we paid after asking for something to drink and took a seat.

"So how were things last weekend?" Asked Dean after taking the first bite of his pizza. "You were with Cassandra at her dad's house, right?"

"Yeah, they had to go to an event and so we were watching Kaia until they came back." I said. "I got a good review from her when she told her dad about how her weekend went."

He chuckled and took another bite. "That's good. He sees that his youngest likes you. That could work in your favor."

"Did I mention that we saw Megan?" I asked him, taking a bite of my own slice.

"Again? Is she stalking you or something to be popping up where you and Cassandra are?" He asked, taking a sip of his soda.

I shrugged. "I don't know. What made me not like it even more is that she did while we were with her little sister and Megan was asking who she belonged to and whatnot."

"What the hell does it matter to her?" Dean asked. "Cassandra's family has nothing to do with that Megan girl."

"That's what I'm saying." I replied, wiping my hands with a napkin, after getting halfway through my pizza. "I don't know. And then she has that guy with her, like is that supposed to be her boyfriend or something?"

"I don't know, but be careful with them. Especially, Megan." Dean says.

I nod. "I will. I just hoped that after we broke up, I never had to see her again and I was glad to believe that it was going to go on like that when I came here. Other than that, I'm going to try to call my dad today."

"Yeah? You ready for that?" Dean asked.

"I'm ready. A bit nervous because of how long it's been since we talked, but I'm ready." I tell him. "I miss my parents and I know that eventually I'm going to have to tell them about me being in a relationship."

"Might as well get the ball rolling." Dean added.

"Yeah. I just hope it goes well." I say.

He finishes up his pizza and wipes his hands on a piece of napkin. "I'm sure it will. Just think positive, man. You've come a long way since you came here. It'll be fine."

"You think they'll like Cassandra?" I ask, when I finish my slice.

"They'd be crazy if they didn't." He says, before taking a sip of his soda. "She's a sweetheart and you know that. They may be cautious at first because of how your relationship with Megan went, but I think they'll really like her."

"Roman!" Said a tiny voice and when I looked, I saw that it was Kaia running towards me.

I picked her up and felt her tiny arms wrap around my neck when she gave me a hug. "How's Ms. Kaia doing, today?"

"Good." She says with a smile. "I'm here with my mommy and daddy."

"Yeah?" I asked, looking up to see them reaching us.

We greeted each other before they greeted Dean. I put Kaia down after talking for a few minutes with them and let her go with her parents. While they waited for their food, Kaia came back to where Dean and I were sitting and gave me a big smile.

"Can you and Cassandra come back to spend the weekend?" She asked in a whisper.

"That's up to your parents." I reply with a smile. "They have to be okay with it, first."

"Okay." She says before looking over at Dean. "Hi."

"Hey, buddy." Dean says to her before she giggles and goes back to her parents.

"What did you do to get her to like you so much and so fast?" He asks me.

I shrugged. "I don't know. I was just myself."

 _ **Later that day...**_

I sat in my living room and looked at my phone and at the piece of paper where I had written down my parent's phone number. I had called Jimmy and Jey the day after meeting Cassandra's dad and asked for their number. I knew that this day was going to come that I would eventually call them again, I just thought I always knew exactly what to say. But now that I was about to actually do it, all of those planned words just disappeared as if I never thought about them. Putting in the phone number, I put the phone up to my ear and I hear it ringing. I hear someone's voice when they pick up and it's a male's voice.

"Hello?" Asked the deep voice on the other end and I immediately knew who it was.

"Dad? It's me, Roman." I say.

A few seconds of silence went by. "Roman? How are you? Are you okay?"

"Dad, I'm okay." I tell him. "I'm in Houston. How are you?"

"I'm good. Even better, now that I know you're okay. We were worried about you, son." He says. "Why didn't you ever call us?"

I feel tears sting my eyes, but I blinked them away. "I didn't know what to say. I came here without a plan. Without a place to go or knowing anybody. The two of us weren't exactly on the best terms when I left, so I didn't know how you would react to me calling. I had it rough, when I first got here and I didn't want to feel like I was disappointing you and mom. I felt like I had already done enough of that, and I didn't want to keep doing it."

"Roman, you didn't disappoint us." He says. "With everything you were going through, we didn't want you to feel like you didn't have anybody on your side. As if nobody cared, when we really did. We all miss you, son."

"I miss you, too." I say, feeling a lump in my throat. "I miss all of you."

"Mom is out with one of your sisters, but when she comes back, I'll let her know that you called." He said. "And you can try to call us again, later or we can call you back. Is this the number you have, now?"

I felt some of the weight being taken off my shoulders. "Yeah, this is the number I have now. I want to talk to mom, too. I miss her and her voice."

"She misses you, too." My dad says. "I'm sure she'll love to hear from you."

"I'll make sure to call more often." I tell him. "There's a lot that we need to catch up on."

"Yes, we do." He replies and I can hear the smile in his voice. "No more Megan, right?"

I smile. "Of course, there's no more Megan. I'm done with her and I'm completely over her. I have been since the day we broke up."

"Good, and you know how your mother is, so be prepared to be asked if you have anyone new in your life." He says.

"Yes, I remember." I say, chuckling. "It feels good being able to talk to you, again, dad."

My dad chuckles deeply. "It feels good, talking to you again, too, son. Let's keep that up, this time. No more of this going as long as we have, without talking."

"It won't happen again." I say, seriously.

We talked for a few more minutes before we both hung up. I went to the kitchen and started getting a few things together and wash some pots and the frying pan to start making dinner. I pulled out my phone and I decided to face-time Cassandra.

"Hi, baby." She says with a smile when she answers and I see her face in what looks like her kitchen.

"Hey, babygirl." I say with a smile of my own as I place my phone on something on my counter while I turn on the stove. "Guess what?"

"What?" Cassandra asks.

I look over at her and smile. "I just got off the phone with my dad."

"Really? How did that go?" She asks, eagerly with a smile on her face.

"It went better than I thought it would." I tell her. "My dad said that my mom was out with one of my sisters, so I wasn't able to talk to her, but that he'll let her know when she gets back home that I called. I'll try to call later or something to talk to her."

"You seem so happy." She says with a smile.

I give her a smile of my own. "I am. You've seen how nervous I was to call my parents. And with my dad, it went really good."

"I'm sure it'll go really good with your mom, too." Cassandra tells me. "I'm sure she'll be happy to hear your voice again."

"I'm looking forward to it." I tell her. "You're making dinner?"

She nods. "Yeah, rice with chicken and southern style bbq beans."

"Me, too. See, we think alike even when we're not in the same place." I say.

"That could be a good thing." She tells me with a grin on her face.

I look at her and I know that, without a doubt in my mind, I'm absolutely in love with this woman and that she's something special. That in itself, makes me glad that I came here to Texas. I don't know if I would have met her, had I not come here the way that I did, let alone, at all.

"What is it?" She asks, propping her chin in her hand.

"Nothing." I tell her. "I look forward to tomorrow."

Cassandra gives me that sweet smile of hers. "Me too. I can't wait for tomorrow. You still haven't told me what we're going to do."

"Because I wanted to make it special. Just know that it's going to start with lunch, okay?" I ask.

"Okay." She says with a smile.

Cassandra blows a kiss at me and giggles as she does. I chuckle and act like I'm grabbing it before I give her one of my own. We spent the rest of the time talking about my family and she was actually eager to hear about it, which made me happy.

 ***Cassandra's POV***

I'm in my room, looking in the mirror to make sure that I look okay. I wore jean shorts with a shirt that was light pink with my hair in a ponytail with sandles showed my freshly done feet. I hear a knock on the door, and so I go to open it and when I do, I see Roman standing on the other side with a grey, sleeveless shirt, and shorts with sandles. It wasn't often that one would see this man wearing that, but he looked so cute with that smile of his, nonetheless.

"Hey, beautiful." Roman says, with that wicked smile of his.

"Hi." I say with a big smile as he walks in.

He leans down and gives me a kiss that leaves me breathless. I brush my lips against his and we share another kiss as I rest my hands on his waist. I feel his hands cup my face as the kiss deepens before we reluctantly pulled away.

"Happy four month anniversary, baby." Roman whispers against my lips.

"Happy four month anniversary." I reply against his.

Feeling his lips on mine once more, we kiss again. When we were finally able to pull away from each other, I got my purse and made sure everything was okay, before walking out the door with Roman. I lock the door behind us and go downstairs to his car, where he opens the door for me and closes it when I get inside.

"How do you feel about a picnic for lunch?" He asks me when he gets in the car. "I know it's been a while since we last had one and the weather's really nice today. I got some cheesecake, potato chips, sandwiches and soda."

"I really like the sound of cheesecake." I tell him and he chuckles deeply before kissing my cheek and putting on his sunglasses.

After backing out of the parking and getting on the road, we hold hands and lace our fingers together and listen to some music as we do. When we finally get to the park, Roman parks the car and we both get out. He goes to the trunk and takes out the basket with our food and we hold hands again when he closes the trunk.

"Were you able to talk to your mom last night?" I asked him. "I didn't see your call until this morning, when I woke up."

"It was absolutely a great idea, to call them." He says with a smile. "It was like a weight had been taken off my shoulders, finally getting in contact with them again and so I'm glad that I did that."

Once we got to a spot that was underneath a tree and provided us with shade from the sun, we ate our sandwiches and when I looked over at him his eyes were already set on me. I felt my face grow warm, before feeling him kiss my cheek.

"I told my parents about you." Roman, softly said. "They want to meet you."

"They do?" I ask, looking over at him.

He nods. "Once I started telling them about you, I just couldn't stop. They want to meet the woman I'm crazy about."

"You just want to make me blush." I say, wanting to cover my face.

"No, baby. I really am crazy about you." He says, and I could hear the smile in his voice. "More than that, actually."

I looked over at him and smiled before finishing the rest of my sandwich. "I want them to like me."

"I'm sure they will." Roman tells me. He seemed to have wanted to say something else, but kept himself from saying it and it made me wonder what he had going on in his mind, right now.

"Can we try the cheesecake?" I asked, reaching out for the basket. He helps me take out two pieces and I find myself smiling when I see them cut out into heart shapes. "Aww, this is so cute."

"You like it?" Roman asks.

I nod. "Yes, I've never seen it cut out like that before. Did you do it?"

"I tried. Some of it came out kind of crooked and a bit sloppy, as did these two, but yeah." He replies and we both laughed.

"I love it, it's so cute." I say before giving him a kiss.

Seeing the way he looked at me when he, gave me butterflies in my stomach. The look in his eyes was one of wanting. A look of needing and desire. As if I'm the only person around him when there are countless others around him at this very moment. The way his blue/grey eyes softened into a smile before that same smile traveled to his lips. I wondered if he felt the same way I did. If his heart swelled with love for me, like mine does for him. If he was in love with me, period, like I'm in love with the man sitting beside me.

Later that night, I was once again, in front of my mirror as I looked to see if I looked okay. I stood in a black dress that reached a few inches above my knees and had a sweetheart neckline. My hair had been straightened out and I wore one of my favorite black heels and diamond earrings. After putting on perfume, I hear a knock on the door and I go look through the peephole, to see that Roman was standing on the other end.

Opening the door, I see him with a bouquet of red roses in his hand, while wearing a grey, long sleeved, button up shirt with black dress pants and black dress shoes. His hair was slicked back into a neat bun and his face, freshly shaved, except for his goatee. Roman's eyes lingered on every inch of me as he walked in, before they reach my green eyes, just as I close the door behind him.

"Wow." Roman says softly. "You look amazingly beautiful."

"Thank you." I say with a smile, as I know for a fact that I am now blushing like crazy. "It's not too much, or too little, is it?"

"You're perfect." He says with a smile. "And this is for you."

I take the flowers with a smile on my face and I smell them. "Thank you, they're beautiful. Come on."

Taking his hand, we go to the kitchen and Roman takes down a vase and washes it before filling it up with water. He lets me put the flowers in and then hugs me from behind. When one of his hands gets to my waist, I could feel the warmth of his hand through my dress as his lips softly kiss my shoulder. I close my eyes and lean back against him and I let him continue before turning around and letting his lips capture mine for a kiss.

I got my purse and looked in the mirror, once again, to make sure I looked okay. Walking out of my room, Roman opened the door for me after making sure everything was okay and allowed me to lock it when he closed it. We got to his car and he opened the door for me and helped me in. He turned on the car when he got in and pulled out of the parking. Taking my hand when we got out on the road, our fingers laced together and I smiled feeling his thumb stroking my hand.

"You're being so sweet." I tell him. Leaning over, I kiss his cheek and see him smile, making my heart flutter.

"I just wanted to make this night special for you." Roman tells me. "I love seeing that smile on your face and the way your eyes light up with something that you love. That cute little face you make when you're focused on something. The way that little spot between your eyebrows crinkle up a bit when you're thinking about something."

I look over at him again, amazed that he pays more attention to me than I had realized and I loved that. I see that we arrived at an Italian restaurant as Roman finds a parking. When he does, he quickly gets out and comes around the car to open the door for me. Grabbing my hand, I smile as I get out and I give him a kiss.

"You're giving the dress the full treatment tonight?" I ask him.

"I'm giving it to the woman wearing it." Roman replies as he gives me a kiss while taking me into his arms.

Butterflies invade my stomach, yet again. We smile at each other before he closes the door and locks the car. Holding hands, we make our way to the restaurant and walk in to amazing aromas that filled the air.

"We have a reservation under 'Roman Reigns'." He says to the guy sitting in the front, by a small table.

Following the waiter after confirming that there was a reservation, he took us to a table set for two and gave us our menus.

"Can we start you off with anything to drink?" He asks. "We have a special tonight of Merlot, if you'd like to have some red wine or Pinot Grigio, if you prefer white wine."

Roman and I look at each other and there was an answer that we shared between us without having to discuss it.

"Merlot, please." I replied, before watching him walk away. "A restaurant with wine?"

"Turns out that Dean is friends with the owner of the restaurant, and so when I told Dean that I was going to bring you here tonight, we managed to pull some strings for a discount." He says.

I smile and look down at the menu as he does the same. When the waiter came back a few minutes later, he had the bottle of red wine inside a small bucket of ice and two wine glasses.

"Are we ready to order?" He asks, after he does so.

"Can I have the Alfredo with the chicken and shrimp in Alfredo sauce?" I asked, looking up at him.

He nods with a smile. "And what would you be having, sir?"

"Can I get the Spaghetti with the chicken?" Roman asks.

"Anything else that can get for the two of you?" The waiter asks.

We agreed that we were fine for now and he opened the bottle of wine for us, before leaving. Roman poured us both some wine and I swirled it around in my cup, smelling it. Taking a sip, I let my taste buds savor it before looking at the man sitting in front of me, doing the same thing.

"Why do you look nervous?" I ask him, resting my hand on my palm.

"I'm not nervous." He says. I give him a look as I cross my legs, underneath the table."Have I told you how beautiful, you look?"

I smiled and looked down. "Yes, but I don't mind hearing it."

Roman gives me that gorgeous smile of his before hooking some of our fingers together. "I um...I look forward to you meeting my parents."

"Me too." I tell him and I could tell he was so nervous. It made him look so adorable, the way he couldn't stay still in a way. The way he tried to hook his hair behind his ear, as if it wasn't neatly put up in a bun. "Roman."

He gave me that reassuring smile of his and I gave him a smile of my own. As the food came along, the waiter also gave us some breadsticks and garlic bread and asked if everything was okay before leaving again. Taking a bite of my food, I close my eyes and savored the taste.

"This taste so good." I say, taking another bite.

"This does, too." Roman says, taking a bite of his food. "This spaghetti tastes better than the spaghetti I made that one time. Remember when I tried to make this?"

I laughed and nodded, remembering. "Yes, and you got upset because you thought it didn't taste good."

"I wanted us to have a good dinner and I felt like the food wasn't that great." He said.

"We still had an amazing dinner, though." I tell him, taking another sip of my wine. "It just ended up not being spaghetti, even though I tried to convince you that it was good. At least we still had the biscuits."

He chuckled and took a sip of his. "Can you teach me one day, how to make those biscuits?"

"Yeah, I'll teach you one day." I tell him. "That means a lot of time together, that day."

"I don't mind." Roman says with a smile on his face.

Feeling my face grow warm, I covered it and peeked through my fingers to see him smiling that wicked smile of his. We continue with the rest of our dinner and order some dessert for the both of us to share. When we finished, we just sat there talking as if there was nothing that we could run out of when it came to conversation. Roman took my hands in his and kisses them both.

"I know I already said this before, but I don't know where I'd be right now, if it wasn't for you." He says. "You came into my life at the right time and though we started off a bit rough, we turned that into a friendship that eventually turned into what we have now. An amazing relationship that's made it into four months. Here's to us and to a long relationship filled with happiness and love. May we continue getting stronger, each and every day that passes."

We both pick up our glasses and clink them together before taking another sip. Realizing that he had said love, I tried to act as if it was fine, but then I saw the look in his eyes that he had been giving me a lot of, especially today.

"I uh..." He keeps saying, as he gets nervous again. "I love you, Cassandra."

"You do?" I asked, as I filled up with joy.

He looks at me with those eyes of his that were now a soft, light blue and with a crooked smile that he sometimes gives when he's nervous. "Yes. I've realized it a few weeks ago, but I was always so nervous to tell you."

"Well, you don't have to be nervous anymore." I say. "I love you, too."

"Yeah?" Roman managed to ask, with relief in his voice.

I smile as he gives me that adorable grin of his. "I was nervous to say anything, too. I always hesitated to say something because I wasn't sure if you were ready yet for that with us being together for only four months and..."

I was soon interrupted by warm, full lips, kissing me. Kissing him back, I rest my hand on the side of his face and feel the passion grow between us. Pulling away, we smiled at each other, not caring about who else could be looking at us.

"I love you." Roman tells me, more confidently.

"I love you, too." I tell him, with as much confidence as he did. "Let's go home."

He nods and calls for the check. After it's all paid for, Roman and I walk back to the car holding hands. He helps me get into the car and turns it on when he gets in. We held hands the entire way back home and we couldn't seem to keep our hands apart. It was as if we had started dating all over again, and we always wanted to hold on to each other.

When we finally got to my apartment, I was in my room, taking off my earrings after taking off my heels. Seeing Roman stand behind me when he walks into my room, he rests his hands on my waist and looks up at me through the mirror. Turning around, I face him and gently pull him closer to me.

"Can you make love to me?" I ask him, softly.

"You sure, you want to?" He asks.

I nod as I look up at him. "I'm sure."

Roman cups my face and leans down to kiss me. It started off softly, and turned passionate. I wrap my arms around his neck as his hands move to my back, before wrapping me in his arms. Pulling away, he takes my arms and walks me to the bed. I feel his hand reach for the zipper on the back of my dress and when he pulls it down. Letting it fall to my feet, I see his eyes look down as I step out of my dress and stand in black, lace panties with matching black, lace strapless bra.

I unbutton his shirt and let it fall to the floor before he takes off his shoes and his watch. We kiss again he picks me up, my legs automatically wrapping around his waist as he lays me down on my bed. His lips go to my neck and I feel him gently suck on the skin behind my ear. I take off the hair tie on his hair and free it as I let out a soft moan. Roman's hands go behind my back and unstraps my bra, taking it off. He kisses his way down until he reaches my breasts. I arch my back into him and let out another moan when he takes my nipples into his mouth. His hands roam around my body, taking every inch of my skin, as he turns my nipples into harden buds.

He makes his way down until he gets to my legs. Roman takes my panties off and tosses them aside before gently spreading my legs. He kisses the inside of my thighs until I feel him get closer to my center. I gasp when I feel his tongue against it, softly working it's magic. I moan and feel his hands take a hold of my thighs as my hands make their way into his hair.

I quietly moan as I arch my back again. I breath heavily as I feel his tongue and lips bring me pleasure that I've never had another guy do for me. Feeling my climax grow stronger, I knew I was close as I lay my head back into my pillow and close my eyes when I feel his thumb gently rub my clit. I dig my hands into his hair again, feeling myself release my juices all over his tongue before feeling him take it all in.

Roman kisses his way back up and takes my nipples into his mouth again, to keep them as hardened buds as his hands massage my breasts. He then gets to my lips and kisses them before I kiss his shoulder and his chest. He gets out of bed and takes off his pants and his briefs, exposing his large, and thick erection. Getting him back in bed, he hovers over me and gently spreads my legs again.

I feel him enter his tip, and I bite my lip as I grab a hold of his shoulders. I softly moan, when he enters me fully and when I try to adjust to his size. He lets out a deep groan as he secures himself inside of me and gives me another kiss before finally beginning to thrust into me. Sounds of pleasure fill the room as we continue to make love, and as each moment passes, the passion grows deeper.

"Cassandra." He whispers in my ear as a groan rips through the room.

"Roman." I moan out in his ear, as I get a tight hold on his waist and then his back.

Our sounds of pleasure continue to get louder, and I can feel pleasure rising in my body. One of his hands get a firm hold on my thigh as he keeps it close to his body as he continues to thrust into me with a passion and desire that I've never felt from any guy that I've ever cared for or dated. When I couldn't hold it together any longer, pleasure rippled through my body as I released myself around him. He groans deeply, feeling my release. After a few more thrusts of his own, he pulls out, and releases himself on me instead.

Catching our breaths, we hold each other for a few moments before we clean ourselves up. We get back into bed and our lips are right back on each other's for another passionate kiss. I pull away and trace his lips with my fingertips before resting my head on his chest while he wraps me in his arms after covering us with the sheets. Roman showers me with kisses and caresses me with his hands and words didn't need to be spoken between us for the rest of the night.

 **A/N: What did you think about Roman's phone call to his dad? What about Kaia asking if he and Cassandra can spend the weekend again with her? Are you glad that he finally took the first step to getting back in contact with his parents? What about Cassandra being the first person he told about his phone calls? What did you think of their date? And what about them saying that they love each other and how they ended the night?**


	14. Chapter 14

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed on the previous chapter and to those who put this story on their favorites and alerts!**

 ***Cassandra's POV***

"Can't we just stay here all day?" Roman asked, as he showered me with kisses. "I want to make love to you, again."

"You're going to be late, meeting up with my dad, remember?" I ask him, with a smile. We spent the night making love and saying sweet words to each other after celebrating our anniversary.

"Yes. I like spending time with you." Roman replies as he rests his hands on my waist.

We share a kiss before he finishes getting dressed. I walked him to the door, where he turns around to face me after opening the door, to give me another kiss.

"Have a good day with your mom, okay?" He asks.

"I will. And you have a good day, too." I tell him. "I love you."

Roman gives me that smile of his that I love so much. "I love you, too baby. I'll see you, later."

"Okay. See you, later." I tell him before we share another kiss.

I close the door when he gets to the bottom of the stairs and I smile as I lean against the door. I think back to the night before and how it ended. Roman saying that he loves me and us making love to each other for the first time in our relationship. Remembering that I had to meet up with my mom, I finished getting dressed in shorts with a plain, grey t-shirt with spaghetti straps and my hair in a ponytail.

Grabbing my purse, I grab my keys and my phone, and make my way out the door. Locking the door behind me, I get in my car and make my way to WalMart. I find my mom's car and managed to find a parking nearby in the packed parking lot, with it being the last few days before the 4th of July weekend. I met my mom by the entrance and shared a hug with her when I reached her.

"How are you?" She asks, pulling away with a smile.

"I'm really good, and you?" I ask as we make our way in and grab a cart.

"I'm good. You're in a good mood, today." She asks me, as we make a right to get to where the meats, were.

I smiled, and kept thoughts of Roman to myself. "It's just a good day. I thought I was going to be late, but it's been good."

"Could it have something to do with a certain football coach, that you've been seeing for the last four months?" My mom asked, with a knowing tone. She knew me better than anyone, and I knew I couldn't keep much from her.

"Maybe." I say, taking some hamburger bread and placing it in the cart. "I had a good time, last night."

My mom took one more pack of hamburger bread, to make sure we would have enough and took a left turn to continue making our way to the meats. "You're not going to give me much details, are you?"

"Last night, was amazing, mom." I tell her, looking over at her. "I finally heard him say that he loves me and just, the way he treated me the entire night, it made me feel special. Roman always makes me feel special, but last night was more than ever. Other than that, are you excited about this weekend?"

"Yes, I am." She says with excitement as we reach where they had the ground beef. "I know we have it every year, but it's that one time of the year where you can see everyone being truly proud to be a part of this country. To be an American. It's like you can see the pride, more than any other day and I love that."

"Same here." I said, before I hear something hit our cart and move it.

My mother and I both looked up to see Megan there, by herself. "I'm sorry. I made too wide of a turn. Hey, Cassandra."

I rolled my eyes and went back to looking at the ground beef before hearing her ask if she could talk to me. I let out a sigh and stay close by to my mother, as I walk ahead of her.

"Did Roman ever tell you, why we broke up?" She asked. I stopped walking, and tightened my jaw a bit.

"Why does it matter what he says to me?" I asked. "The last time I checked, it's none of your business what he says or does. You lost that privilege when the two of you broke up. So if you'll please excuse me, I have something to do."

I saw her walk up beside me and I knew she wouldn't quit, even if I tried to ignore her. "Did Roman tell you, that he's the one that hurt me?"

"I'm supposed to believe you?" I ask. "If there's nothing of worth that you have to say to me, then just go away and leave me and Roman, the hell alone and go on with your own life. I'm sure there's plenty of guys out there who'd like to date you. Unfortunately, for you, Roman is no longer one of those guys."

"You think I'm going to just stand around and let him be happy with someone else?" She asks. "How do you know for sure, that you're making him happy?"

Talk about low blows, or at least attempting it. "Megan, what is that you want? To make him miserable? Let's be clear, I got something that you don't and you don't like it, do you? It's killing you inside."

"Let's be serious, Cassandra. You're a very smart woman, and I could tell from the moment we met. So I could see a reason for why he was so attracted to you. You got beauty and brains." She says. "Don't think that we don't have history, me and him. I was heartbroken when he left."

"Whatever." I say, slowly. I didn't really care about what she was feeling. I never did, and I doubt that I ever will. I hope she has fun thinking that I'll ever care.

Walking away, I managed to get far away enough, to be by myself for a bit until my mother came. I looked down, knowing that her eyes had questions in them.

"What was that about?" My mom asked.

"I don't know. Just some girl that's been an annoying piece of..."

"Cassandra." My mother says sternly, knowing what I was going to say.

I quickly thought about what to say next. "Sorry. But she's been bothering me and Roman since she showed up."

"Is she the one you told me about?" She asks.

"Yes. I've been trying to just ignore her and everything, but it's like she's not taking the hint and leaving." I tell her.

My mom grabs my hands and I face her. "Don't give her the luxury, of seeing you sweat. That'll only give her motivation to keep doing what she's doing. There's obviously something there between you and Roman that she wants. That she's jealous of. So put a smile on your face when she's around and keep your head up, darlin'. That woman will hate it because she wants to see you fail. Don't let her win."

 _ **That night...**_

I knock on Roman's door, and see him open the door a few moments later with a wife beater and jeans and sneakers. His hair was in a bun, like usual and he took my hand as I walked in.

"Hi, baby." I tell him, covering his fingers with mine.

"Hey, beautiful." Roman says, giving me a kiss before closing the door, behind us. We walk to the living room and sit on the couch. Roman rests his arm around my shoulder and kisses my temple.

"How was it with my dad, today?" I ask him.

I feel his fingers going through my hair, making me smile. "It was actually pretty good. We went to lunch afterwards and we just talked. We're still going to spend the 4th of July weekend with them, right?"

"Yes, we are." I tell him. "I helped my mom get a few more things today for that day. She's going to make the burgers and her husband's going to grill some steak and I don't know who else is going to make what, but I know that we're going to bring the drinks."

"How was your day with your mom, by the way?" Roman asks as I rest my head on his chest.

"It was good. Except for one thing." I tell him.

He presses his lips against my head and I then feel him playing with my hair. "Something happened?"

"I saw Megan, today." I say, quietly. "She said that you're the one who hurt her. I think it's complete crap, but I thought I should still let you know."

"That I'm the one that hurt her?" Roman asked.

I nodded. "That's what she said."

"Cass," He says, cupping my chin to get me to look up at him. "I told you what happened between Megan and I."

"I know, Roman and I trust you." I tell him, reassuringly. "But it's getting to the point where I am so close to just screaming at the top of my lungs at her because I'm tired of her bullshit. How much longer of her crap, do we have to put up with until she realizes that enough is enough? I never did anything to her. I didn't even know she existed until you told me about her and even then, I still have to see her face. I didn't ask for her to constantly be around."

"I didn't ask for that either, Cassandra." Roman tells me. "I didn't even know she would come here. When we broke up, I took it as us breaking up for good. Do you really think I'm the one that hurt her? If I really hurt her like she's claiming that I did, why the hell is she bothering us the way that she is?"

"And I said that I trust you." I tell him. "Megan, on the other hand, I can't. I just want her out of the picture. Out of our lives. I don't need her crap, Roman. Niether one of us, do."

"What am I supposed to do?" He asks. "I didn't ask for her to be doing all of this. I didn't even ask for her to be here. What am I supposed to do that I haven't thought about? A way that can actually work without it backfiring? I'm trying to think of something, Cassandra. You think I knew she was going to be here? You think I knew that she was going to give us all of this bullshit that she's trying to pull? No, I didn't."

I get up and walk around before feeling one of his strong, warm hands on the small of my back. Turning around, I play with the bottom of his shirt and feel my bottom lip, slightly tremble. Roman takes me into his arms, and I hold on to him, tightly.

"I got everything I need, standing right in front of me." He tells me. "Let's show her that we're better than her. That we're not going to let her ruin us."

I feel a lump in my throat, and blink away the threat of tears. "I want to make you happy and I want to be the only woman to do that. I want to get lost in your arms and I want to be reassured that you love me. That you want me. I feel like because I want to be reassured, that you'll find that unattractive or something...and...and..."

"No, hey." Roman softly says, cupping my face in his hands. "Cassandra, I love you and I love you more than you know. Give me a chance to show you. I don't want you to ever doubt how I feel about you. I don't know why Megan is doing all of this, and believe me when I say that I want her to stop, too. We just have to figure something out. Don't ever doubt how much I want and need you and don't ever doubt that I love you, baby."

"I love you, so much." I tell him, barely above a whisper.

"I love you, too, baby." Roman says.

I nod, and hear myself softly whimper. Roman's lips kiss my forehead as his arms wrap around my waist. I take in his scent as I lay my head on his chest and I snuggle closer to him. I could stay in his arms all day if I could.

 ***Roman's POV***

"Roman!" Exclaimed a tiny voice as Cassandra and I sat in the backyard of her mother's house to celebrate the 4th of July.

The backyard had a large, built in pool with a Jacuzzi nearby. There was an area large enough to fit a good amount of people, to the left of the entrance to the backyard. It had two concrete pillars, one on each side that reached the cieling. The space in the middle, gave a pretty good view of the amazing pool that was only a few feet away. There was a top of the line grill there, with burgers and hot dogs already getting done.

"Hey, Kaia." I said, picking her up with her blonde hair in a braid and her in a beige dress. "How are you?"

She gives me a big smile. "I'm fine. I'm glad you and Cassandra are here. I was hoping you would come."

"Well, I'm glad we came, then." I tell her with a smile of my own. "Are you excited about today?"

"Yes. I want to see the fireworks." She tells me, in a tiny voice.

"What do you like about the fireworks?" I ask.

She thinks for a moment, making me smile. "I like that they're all colorful. They're so pretty."

"Just like you, Ms. Kaia." I tell her.

Kaia gives me a big smile before giggling. "Hi, daddy."

"Hi, princess." Mr. Calaway says with a smile, as he comes over to us and greets me.

I look over at Cassandra and see her making her way over to us. She gives him a hug before we share a kiss. We talk for a few minutes before Kaia goes with her mother when she comes along. Looking over at the beautiful woman standing beside me, I see the way her green eyes take in the light around us. The way her dark hair, rested over her shoulder before she pushed it back. The way that her lips formed into that beautiful smile that I can never get enough of. Her green eyes look over at me and she gives me that smile of hers and the way her nose sometimes crinkles up when she laughs. I take her hand in mine and feel our fingers intertwine before she steps closer to me. I wrap my free arm around her and kiss her temple when I do.

"I want to curl up somewhere." She whimpers, softly, covering her face with my chest and her free hand.

"We could go inside, if you want." I tell her, looking around and noticing that everyone seemed to be out here, instead of in the house, minus a few people that would walk in and out.

Something that I've learned about her over the last few months, is that sometimes, she just gets the urge to want to be in her own little world. That part of her that's shy and nervous, makes her want to hide sometimes, even if she won't say it in that way. Cassandra will have her own way of saying that she wants to go hide and sometimes it's curling up somewhere.

Seeing her nod, with part of her face still buried in my chest, I give her head a kiss and keep her hand in mine. We walk inside and see the large living room with plush carpets, throughout the entire room and warm beige colors with soft lighting. A large, flat screen television, propped up on the wall with a speaker on each side. There were dvds neatly stacked up nearby with a fireplace that I'm sure would be good for those rainy days. Something I would love to share on a rainy day with the woman I love.

Suede, black couches and sofas helped furnish the living room that they managed to put together and ended with one end being a recliner. I sat down and let her curl up beside me, with her head on my chest, her arm around my waist, and happily take her in my arms. I take in the scent of her hair and play with it, seeing small glances of her green eyes when she would occasionally look up. The way my heart skipped a beat, seeing her head on my chest and connecting with her eyes whenever our eyes met. I love this woman so much and I'll be damned if I allow Megan to mess this up for me. My heart fully belongs to the woman sitting beside me and I wasn't going to let her go.

"You okay, darlin'?" Asked Mr. Calaway when he walked into the living room.

"Yes." Cassandra replied with a small voice, still curled up beside me.

He kissed her forehead when she poked her head up to look at him. "One of those moments?"

"Yes." She softly whimpered. After making sure she was okay, he made his way to the kitchen that had a stainless steel fridge, stove, oven, and sink. Granite counters, mahogany colored cupboards, an island in the middle of the kitchen with granite counters, and a large dining table nearby that was mahogany colored.

"Cass, Roman!" Said the tiny voice of Kaia, when she came in. "The food's ready. Where's daddy?"

"He's in the kitchen, sweetie." I said and saw her smile before she made her way to the kitchen. Cassandra and I get back up and got the drinks out of the fridge, before we meet up with Mr. Calaway and his youngest daughter. Kaia goes with her big sister, while their father and I walk behind them. "Has she always been like that, having her moments when she wants to hide?"

He nods as we make our way to the backyard. "Yeah, she's always been like that. She's had her little moments where she just wants to go into her own little world, and I think that everybody, at some point has that moment. With that shyness that she has though, she just has a bit more of those moments."

We both grabbed a plate and grabbed a hamburger with a hot dog and a piece of grilled chicken and corn on the cob, after putting the drinks down on a table that was nearby and one by one, grabbing a cup to get our drinks. Everyone started off with one piece each, to make sure that we all had one and we would get extras if there was enough left. I looked over and saw Cassandra sitting with Kaia, and helping her cut up her chicken into a few pieces to help her eat it better.

"I see that side of her and it's like an added layer of vulnerability that's added to her." I softly say. "I'm already protective of Cassandra, but seeing her like that, curled up beside me, it makes me want to wish I could make her feel better when it comes to that."

"You can." He tells me, taking a bite out of his burger. "Just keep doing what you were doing in there with her. Let her curl up in your arms and keep her company. You don't always have to use words to make her feel better. You could show Cassandra that you care, too. I saw the way you looked at her when I walked in. One would be crazy to not be able to see that you love her."

"I love her more than anything.'' I tell him, eating my hot dog as I look over at her. Our eyes meet and lock before we shared a smile. "I want to make her happy and to let her know that she means the world to me. That she means everything to me and that she's the love of my life."

I'm a bit surprised at how open I've been, just now, with him about my feelings for her. We've gotten a bit closer since the first night we met, but there's still that protective father mode that he goes into for Cassandra and I respect that. She comes over with Kaia and they both sit with us.

"Daddy, you want a lollipop?" Cassandra asks him.

"Tootsie roll?" He asks.

She gives him a smile. "Of course. I'll get it for you when we're done eating, right Ms. Kaia?"

"Can I have one, daddy?" Asks the little girl.

"Yes, but you're going to have to wait until tomorrow, to eat it." Her father says.

"Okay. Do you like lollipops, Roman?" She asks me.

I smile at her. "Yes, I do. What else do you like?"

"I like playing with my sisters and I like playing with my toys." She says as she eats her hot dog.

We sat there having a conversation, until we finished our food. I took her inside as Cassandra got me some more food so that she can wash her hands and get something else to drink. When we got back out, Kaia went with her sisters, Gracie and Chasey, leaving me and Cassandra with each other when she bought me another plate.

"Are you ready for the fireworks, later?" I asked her.

"Yes. And I like that we're going to the beach to see them." She says. "For me, there's just something about going there and seeing fireworks that makes me like it so much. And I get to go with an amazing man."

Our eyes lock and I can't help but smile. I lean in and give her a long, sweet kiss. "I love you."

"I love you, too." She says with a smile before we share another kiss.

Cassandra and I had walked back to where everyone was when we were at the beach, with our hands intact as her mom started to talk when she stood in front of all of us.

"I hope everyone is enjoying their 4th of July." She says and everyone cheers. "I'm very fortunate to have spent this day with everyone. Friends and family all together, enjoying the pride that comes with being an American. With being part of this great country. So please, let's enjoy the rest of the night as we look forward to the fireworks!"

We all clapped and cheered, before picked Cassandra up and spun her around. I heard her laugh as her arms wrapped around my neck and I smiled. Putting her back down, I gave her a kiss and rest my hands on her waist.

"I talked to my parents, earlier toady, by the way." I tell her. "They want me to come down to Pensacola for a few days, so we can see each other."

"Are you going to be able to go?" She asks, looking up at me.

I kiss her forehead. "Yeah, but it'll have to be before football training starts. I have my physical next week, so I was thinking about going after that. I could drive over there. I really want to see them, and if I could do that before football and school starts, that'd be good. And it gives me a chance to be back in Florida for a few days and see the rest of my family that's there. I was thinking though...will you come with me?"

"You want me to go?" Cassandra asks, with a light in her eyes.

"Yes. They want to meet you, too, so I was wondering if you wanted to go with me." I tell her. "I understand if you don't want to, but I wanted to let you know."

She gives me that beautiful smile of hers and touches my nose with hers. "I'd like to go. My physical is the day before yours, I think, so we'll go after yours."

"You sure, you want to go?" I ask.

"I'm sure." She says and I give her a smile.

"I love you, baby." I tell her.

"I love you, too." Cassandra says and we share another kiss.

Within about an hour of us being there, everyone started to gather as the fireworks began. I took Cassandra in my arms when I stood behind her and feel her lean back into me as she rested her hands on my arms. She took a few pictures of us on her phone and as I gave her kisses before she recorded some of the fireworks display.

Once the display was done, we all met up and talked for a bit before we started to go our separate ways. Opening the door of car for Cassandra, she got in and I closed the door behind her. Getting in on my side, I turned the car on and pulled out of the parking. After we got on the road, our hands find each others and our fingers intertwine. I kiss her hand and stroke it with my thumb.

When we got back to her apartment, I went inside with her and we ate some of the ice cream that we made a pit stop to get, on the way. Cassandra takes my hand and we go to her room where we lay down and she curls up beside me again after we take off our shoes. Whispering that I love her in her ear, I wanted to show her, too. When Cassandra straddles me, I stroke her cheek when she gives me a kiss. Seeing the look in her eyes when she pulls away, I take off her shirt, revealing a white, lace bra and I sit up to let her take off my shirt before she undoes my hair as I take hers out of her ponytail.

Wrapping my arms around her, we share another kiss and I take her down with me when I lay down again. I unbutton her pants when I manage to get my hands the front of it and I slide it off, before she gets up to step out of it, revealing matching panties. I watch as Cassandra undoes my pants and I help her get it off as well as my underwear, freeing the erection that was forming.

Once it was, I watched as she made love to my member with her tongue and her lips. Seeing her take me in deeply and work her magic, I enjoyed every moment of it from beginning to end, even as I released my seed deep inside of her mouth. Cassandra took off her bra and panties, and I got out of bed to stand behind her. Taking her breasts into my hands, I massaged them and worked her nipples into hardened buds. Slightly bending her over, I guide my erection to her center and slowly entered her.

A groan rips through my throat, when I do and I let her adjust for a bit. I grab her waist and began thrusting inside of her at a steady pace. Hearing her soft moans accompanied by the way she felt around my member and against my skin, I was in complete pleasure as my groans fill the room. I thrust a little deeper inside of her and keep a good hold on her waist as I do. After a few more thrusts, I pulled out and got into bed, letting her straddle me. She guided my member to her center and slowly lowered herself around it.

I groaned as a moan escaped her lips. She began moving her hips and I closed my eyes enjoying every movement. Opening them back up, I take in every inch of her body as our sounds of pleasure filled the room. I grab her breasts and massage them in my hands before taking her harden buds in between my fingers and playing with them. Cassandra moaned as she arched her back and she rested a hand on my chest. Sitting up, I take them into my mouth and feel her hands dig into my hair as I feel her continue to move her hips. Wrapping my arms around her, I keep my mouth firmly attached to her buds, tugging on them and flicking my tongue against them.

"Roman." She moans in my ear and I groan as I tug on her buds. Laying back down after she digs her nails into my shoulder, I grab a hold of her hips and guide them as I remembered the way she moved a bit earlier.

"Cassandra." I groan out, feeling her center closing in around my erection as she rests her hands on my chest.

After a few more minutes, she moans out as I feel her releasing herself around my member. I let out a deep groan, feeling her juices around me and as I feel her nails digging into my chest as I keep guiding her hips. Moments later, I reluctantly pull out and release my seed, with some of it landing on her stomach and a bit on her thigh. Even though she's mentioned and proved that she's on birth control and we have used condoms a few times since becoming intimate, we still wanted to be careful.

Getting out of bed to clean ourselves up, we get back, only to spend the rest of the night having passionate sex and love making. It was our way of continuing the celebration of the 4th of July and it was surely a great way to end the night.

 **A/N: What did you think of Megan and what she said to Cassandra? Is she just trying to get into her head? What about the advice that Cassandra's mother gave her? Do you think that it'll affect her and Roman's relationship? What about him opening up a bit to her dad about his feelings for her and his interaction with Kaia? Is that all a good sign? What about Roman inviting Cassandra to go meet his parents? How do you think that'll go?**


	15. Chapter 15

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed on the previous chapter and to those who have put this story on their favorites and alerts!**

 ***Cassandra's POV***

After finishing up a shower and getting dressed, I warmed up the breakfast that I had made earlier for Roman and I. Hearing the door, I open it and see Roman standing on the other side. I give him a smile.

"Good morning." I tell him.

"Good morning, babygirl." He says, leaning down to give me a kiss when he came in.

I closed the door behind him and got us some orange juice while he placed the plates of food on the table. It was scrambled eggs with bacon and pancakes. Today was going to be the day that we would make the drive to Pensacola to see his family. This was something that he could not stop talking about since since his doctor's appointment for his physical, and I loved seeing the excitement in his eyes about going to see his family and this morning was no different, as his excitement showed once again, as we ate breakfast.

Once we were finished, we cleaned up and made sure everything was okay before he grabbed my suitcase and bought it downstairs for me after walking out of my apartment. I was dressed in a beige dress with sandles that were of a lighter shade and had a gold design in the middle of it. My long hair was out and cascaded down my back as I had my purse in hand with my sunglasses.

"You got it?" I asked Roman, who put my suitcase in the trunk with his.

"Yeah, I got it." He replied, before closing it. "I missed you last night."

I smiled and wrapped my arms around his waist. "I missed you, too. Did you have a good time with Dean, though?"

"Yes. It's never a boring moment with him." Roman says, chuckling. "You had a good time with Kaitlyn and Samantha?"

"Yeah, a lot of girl talk." I tell him with a smile. "But I enjoyed my time with them."

His eyes linger on mine when they connect and he strokes my cheeks with his thumbs when he cups my face. I feel my face grow warm as butterflies invaded my stomach. Roman's dressed in a white, short sleeve shirt with beige shorts. His hair in his usual bun and his face neatly shaved with his usual shape up. This man was more than handsome. He was a gorgeous man with those blue eyes of his that would sometimes turn grey.

Roman leaned down and gave me a kiss that turned deep and lingered. As much as I wanted to continue feeling his lips against mine, we both pulled away knowing that we would go further and probably not get far today, if we didn't stop.

"Maybe while we're there..."I say, playing with the bottom of his shirt and letting him fill the blanks.

"Absolutely, we are." He says, making me smile and laugh softly while he chuckles.

Roman opens the door for me on the passenger side and let's me in before he goes around the car to get in on his side. Turning the car on, we both put on our seatbelts and our sunglasses before he pulls out of the parking and we get out on the road. Our hands find each others and our fingers intertwine about fifteen minutes in and they stay intact as he occasionally strokes my hand with his thumb.

"Are you excited?" I ask, looking over at him. "This is going to be the first time you're going to be home since you got here to Texas, right?"

"Yeah, it'll be the first time and I'm excited." He says, bringing a smile to my face. "I miss them and I want to be able to hug them and see them in person. And I'm glad that you're coming with me. Thank you for coming, baby. It means a lot to me."

I kiss his cheek and smile. "Anytime. I'm looking forward to meeting them, though I'm nervous. I want them to like me."

"I'm sure they will, babygirl." Roman says as he kisses my hand. "I'm going to show them why I love you so much."

"You're just trying to make me smile." I tell him.

He chuckles. "No, I'm being serious. I'm sure they'll like you. What's not to like about you?"

"I love you." I say in his ear before kissing his cheek.

"I love you, too." He says with a smile.

 _ **That evening...**_

After a little over eight hours of driving, we had finally made it to Pensacola. With the occasional stop for food and the restroom and the occasional nap as well as random pictures, we made it through what was left of Texas, before going through Louisiana and Mississippi before getting into Florida.

I watched as Roman drove through a pretty and quiet neighborhood. The houses were close together, but they seemed nice and cozy. When we pulled up to a house, it was a two floor house with a small porch and a few cars parked in the driveway. The outside of the house was blue and there was an American flag in front of it.

"You ready?" Roman asks me after he parks the car and we take off our seatbelts.

"Yes." I say, a bit nervously.

He gives me that smile of his that I love so much and takes my hand in his. "It's going to be okay, baby."

I give him a smile before we get out of the car. When I reach him, I fix my hair and catch him looking at me with a smile.

"I want to make sure I look okay." I tell him, straightening out my dress. "Do I look okay?"

"You're gorgeous, sweetheart." Roman says, giving me a wink and a kiss.

I giggle against his lips as he smiles while we share one more kiss before we hold hands, intertwining our fingers. When we get to the porch, we walk up the steps and I let him knock on the door. A few moments later, an older man opened the door and I could see a few of his features in Roman. The large man was a bit darker than him and his hair was now grey, from age.

"Hey, dad." He says with a smile on his face and in his voice.

"Son, come here." The man says, taking him in for a hug. They shared a hug for a few moments before they both step back. "You look good, son. Strong and healthy."

Roman smiles. "Thanks. So do you, dad. By the way, this is my girlfriend, Cassandra. This is my dad, Sika."

"Hi. It's nice to meet you." I said, with a smile. Right when I thought we were going to shake hands, he surprises me when he takes me in for a hug.

"It's nice to finally meet you." He says, before we pull away. "Roman's told us so much about you, we feel like we know you. You can call me Sika, by the way."

I smile before looking over at Roman, whose eyes were already set on me. I feel my cheeks grow warm as we follow his dad inside the house. The foyer has a closet to the right with a rack nearby. A small bench sits across from it on the left with a few pictures above it. Feeling Roman's hand on the small of my back, I felt a sense of comfort and went to the living room, as we passed by a flight of stairs with a wooden railing and wood steps. The walls were white with beige carpets and a black sofa and couch set, like the one my mom had in her house.

"ROMAN!" Exclaimed a few kids as they ran up to him when they saw him.

I smiled seeing him greet them with open arms, literally. He then greeted a female, who appeared to be his sister, by the way they greeted each other, his brother and what seemed to be their spouses.

"Everyone, this is my girlfriend, Cassandra." Roman tells them, with a pride in his voice. It made me have a lump in my throat, as well as a sense of pride, knowing that he was proud to introduce me as such to his family. They all greeted me as I did the same.

"Mom, Roman's here with his girlfriend." Said his sister, Denise.

Looking back, I see an older lady with short hair that seemed to be blonde and blue eyes with glasses. Obviously, Roman had gotten his eyes from his mother and I am mentally thanking her for that. She had a light complexion, which explained why he and his siblings had a lighter complexion than their father. She seemed really sweet.

"Roman." She says with such happiness in her voice as she walks towards him.

"Hi, mom." He says as he meets her halfway and they share a long hug as his large frame covered her smaller one.

When they pulled back, my heart melted at the look of happiness that was on his face as her hands cupped them. Roman's eyes filled with joy and the smile on his face was the most adorable smile I've ever seen on him as his face lit up at the sight of his mother.

"I'm so happy to finally see you, again. It's been so long." I hear her tell him.

"And I'm sorry for that. It won't happen again." He tells hers.

They share a smile. "It better not. You look like you've been doing good. But I see this young lady here, who I believe is the one you can't seem to stop talking about and I see why. She's very beautiful, Roman."

"Hi, it's nice to meet you." I tell her with a smile. "I'm..."

"Cassandra." She says with a smile. "You can call me, Patricia."

I relax a bit and smile. "Patricia. Thank you, all, for having me, by the way. I really appriciate it."

"Anytime." Said his father. "Dinner's about ready, so let's make our way to the kitchen and then to the dining table."

I feel Roman's warm hand covering mine as we walked side by side to the kitchen. The kitchen was a cozy size as the aroma of the food filled my nose and made my mouth water. The floor had white tiles and wooden cabinets with a stainless steel fridge, stove, oven and sink. Grabbing a plate that Roman had given me, I took a piece of chicken with some mashed potatoes and gravy with some rice and beans.

Following everyone to the dining table, I picked out a seat with Roman making his way beside me before going to get us something to drink. Once he came back, he gave me a kiss on the cheek and I touched his nose with mine when he sat down. When everyone settled down, we began to eat.

"Roman tells us you're from Houston and that you're an English teacher." Says his brother, Josey.

"Born and raised in Houston, and yes, I am a teacher. I teach English to high school juniors and seniors." I tell him with a soft smile.

"What made you want to become a teacher?" Asked his father.

I take a bite out of my chicken and wiped my fingers on a napkin. "It started with my little sisters. My brother and I, especially me, would always teach them things we would find ways to make it interesting and entertaining for them. When I was a teenager, I started doing summer youth and worked at summer camps, which made me love teaching even more. I always found myself teaching them new things and loving the look on their faces when I see that they learned something new. I decided to try to make that into a career, and so I did."

"Do you see yourself having kids of your own, one day?" Asked his mom. "Is it that and marriage, something that you want?"

"Yes. I would love to get married one day and have kids of my own. It's something that I've wanted for as long as I can remember." I tell her.

"I'd like that, too." Roman softly says as we share a deep look that spoke volumes between the two of us.

Feeling my face grow warm, I smile before seeing his lips curve into one of his own. My heart fluttered and I couldn't seem to get enough of him.

"Is it just me, or did anybody else wonder if Roman would ever bring another girl home?" Asked his brother in a joking tone.

Roman chuckled as we all shared a laugh. "Listen, she's my girl and I wanted everyone to meet her. Cassandra has done amazing things for me since we met. Hell, if it wasn't for her, I don't know if I would have ever found out about that coaching job."

We spent the remainder of dinner, talking about anything that came to mind, while they took the opportunity to get to know me better. Once we were done, we went back to the living room and talked a bit more before everyone left, leaving me and Roman with his parents.

"You two should stay here while you're here in Pensacola." Patricia, said. "Roman's room is still here."

"Are you sure?" I ask. "I don't want to intrude or make anyone feel uncomfortable."

"It's fine." She says with a smile. "You're more than welcome to stay here."

I give them a smile. "Thank you."

"I'm going to get the suitcases." Roman says. "You want to come?"

"Actually, Roman, give us a moment to talk to her for a bit while you get your things from the car." His dad said.

He nods and gives me a kiss before he gets up to go out to the car. I hook my hair behind my ears play with my fingers, a bit.

"We remember you saying earlier that marriage and having kids of your own is something that you would love. Is having something long-term, something that you're wanting when it comes to your relationship with Roman?" Sika asks.

"Yes, I've been thinking about a future with him, actually." I tell them. "It's something that I've been thinking about for a while. I always said that when I get married, it has to be to the right guy and that it has to be someone who I can see myself spending the rest of my life with. Someone that I can see as my best friend, someone that I can trust. I want that to be, Roman."

I looked down, and for the first time since the beginning of our relationship, I wanted something more than just a boyfriend/girlfriend type of thing between us. I'm madly in love with him and I wanted him to be the one I give my all to.

"How can we know, that he won't ever have to go through feeling like he's not good enough?" Patricia asks. "That his heart won't get broken and misused like it has been in the past?"

"I can never do that to him." I tell them, when I look up. "I can never take his heart and his feelings and just mess with it. I can't do that. Roman is an amazing man with an amazing heart. I look at him and see the love in his eyes and the happiness in them when he is with the people he cares about most. He means so much to me and I want to make him as happy as I can make him and I hope I can do that for a really long time. I love him. I'll take care of his heart, just like I'll take care of him."

Hearing the door, we look to see that Roman was making his way with our suitcases. Our eyes meet, and we share a smile. He hooks a piece of his hair behind his ear as he straightens himself out as his eyes remain on me. Blue eyes filling with desire and a need and filling themselves up with a look of love that filled my stomach with butterflies and my body with warmth.

"You two must have had a long ride, coming here from Texas." Said Sika. "We'll let you two get some rest."

"That's okay. I don't mind talking a bit more." I say as I get up with them and feel Roman's arm wrap around my waist when he walks over to us.

"Yeah, we don't mind talking a bit more." He says, agreeing.

"You sure? I know that look on your face." His mom says to him with a smile. "You look like you're about to fall asleep the moment you get comfortable."

Roman gives her the cutest little pout, I've ever seen him give. "Mom."

They both smile at us and sit back down with us next to them. We spend the next hour talking about a few things before they decided to finally call it a night. Once they left the living room to go to their room, Roman took me into his lap and leaned up so that his lips reached mine. I smiled, resting my arms on his shoulders and feeling his hands on my waist.

"I think they like you." He softly, says.

"You think so?" I ask. "It's only the first night."

Roman gives me that gorgeous smile of his. "I know so."

We share a kiss and just stay there, staring into each other's eyes.

"Let me show you around my room." He says.

I bite my lip as I keep my smile to myself. Grabbing my suitcase, I go upstairs and to his room when I hear him say that it's the third one to the right. Getting to his room, I see that it's a filled with trophies, as well as a good amount of pictures. His room had beige carpets and a bed that was neatly made in the middle of his room with a window off to the right of it. There was a small table with a small lamp on it and a computer. Going to where he had his trophies, and I see that a few of them are from little league while the rest are from football.

"My mom would sometimes get mad at me because we would have all this cable on television and I would be outside instead, playing with my cousins." He tells me, standing beside me. "But she was glad that I was out doing something, instead of just staying home all day and watching television."

"She has something to be proud of, though." I tell him. "They all do because it payed off. Look at all of these trophies."

"I'm proud of them, too." He says, with a smile. "I worked my ass off for these. I want you to be proud of me, too."

I look over at him. "I _am_ proud of you, baby. I always have been."

"It means a lot to me that you are." Roman says, grabbing a hold of my hands. "I love you."

"I love you, too." I tell him.

Some time passed by and we put some of our things in the drawers before taking a shower together, where we kissed and explored each other's bodies. When we were finally back in his room, we sat on the floor, leaned up against his bed, with the door closed.

"We should get some sleep. I think we're going to have a lot of activities to occupy our time here that we're going to need some energy for." I tell him.

"I want to stay up and talk." He says, kissing my cheek. It was one of those nights where we just wanted to talk about anything and everything like we sometimes did. It would end up being us doing so until after two in the morning and we both loved those nights. It's during those moments, during our conversations at two in the morning, where we would get to know the deeper side of the other. We get to see a side of each other that others don't see. We share our deepest thoughts and feelings and even if the conversation isn't about that, the things that we do talk about, takes us further into getting to know each other on a much deeper level.

Touching his nose with mine, I kiss it. "My baby."

" _My_ baby." He says with a smile.

"Let's talk in bed until we fall asleep." I tell him, standing up. "We're going to the lake, tomorrow."

Grabbing his hands when he does the same, we both get into bed and I curl up beside him when he takes me into his arms. I rest my head on his chest and wrap my arm around his waist as his I feel his strong arm snake around my waist. Feeling his lips on my forehead, I smile happily feeling everything just washing away as we begin talking again. All of my worries, my fears, my negative thoughts. All of it just going away, by just being in a pair of loving arms that had become like home to me. A pair of arms that I never wanted to leave.

 **A/N: What do you think so far of the reaction that Cassandra got from Roman's family? How will the next few days go for them? Are you surprised that Cassandra wants marriage and kids in the future? What about Roman agreeing that he'd like that, too? What about their late night talks?**


	16. Chapter 16

**Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed the previous chapter, as well as to those who have put this story on their favorites and alerts!**

 ***Roman's POV***

The morning started out pretty good, with Cassandra and I cuddled in each other's arms after waking up. We had stayed until well after three in the morning, just talking. I loved when we spend the night talking about things. It definitely helps us with communication and it helps to give us that comfort in knowing that we could talk to each other about anything.

"How's my favorite girl?" I ask her, getting her to straddle me.

"I'm good. How's my favorite guy?" She asks with a big smile.

"I'm doing really good." I tell her, giving her another kiss.

I smile, hearing her giggle and I let out a groan when she tries to get me out of bed. "Can't we stay in bed a little longer?"

"I wish, but we're going to the lake today, remember?" She asks, looking at me with her beautiful green eyes. "And I want you to enjoy spending some time with your family before we have to go back to Texas."

"I know." I tell her, stroking her cheek with my thumb. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Cassandra tells me, touching my nose with hers. "Now let's get ready for breakfast."

Our fingers hook together as we make our way to the bathroom and we brush our teeth and take a shower together, and explored each other's bodies like we did the night before. When we were done, I put on a pair of basketball shorts with a wife beater while Cassandra put on a thin strapped, white shirt with shorts. We went downstairs to the kitchen, and smelled the aroma of breakfast. We see my parents already in the kitchen and we greet them.

"You look like you've been eating well." My dad says as I grab four cups.

'Yeah, all that Southern food." I say with a smile. "And then when Cassandra cooks, she makes sure I eat. And I've been going to the gym."

"They do say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach." My mom says, and I chuckle. "Thank you for feeding him."

Cassandra gives her a big smile and laughs softly. "I like seeing him eat."

I give her a wink and see her smile before getting my parents their coffee that they had made and getting juice for Cassandra and I. The two of us help set up the table while my parents serve the food. It's scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, and pancakes. Just the thought of it, made my mouth water. The four of us finally sat down and enjoyed breakfast, together. It was calm and light, as our conversation was filled with jokes and laughter and a story.

Once we were done with breakfast, we all cleaned up and watched some television before getting ready to leave to the lake to meet with my brother, my sister and their spouses as well as their kids. Putting the last of the things we were going to take into the lake, my parents got in the car after my dad opened the door for my mom, while I opened the door for Cassandra. I turned the car on after my dad and I got in, and backed up out of the driveway after we all put on our seatbelts. My hand finds Cassandra's and I feel our fingers intertwine as I drive and our hands stay glued together until we get to the lake.

After almost 30 minutes, we had finally gotten to Crescent Lake and saw the my brother, my sisters and their families were already there. I drove up a dirt road that eventually opened up to the lake. There were a few tables nearby that were good for eating, or just sitting and talking. Getting out of the car, I helped my dad get our things out of the trunk of my SUV Tahoe while my mom and Cassandra grabbed a few things to carry.

We took our things to where the tables were, which were covered by a large roof, held up by four pillars to give some shade, and greeted everybody there. I looked around and took in the amazing scenery that was in front of me. Miles of lake and tall and huge, beautiful green trees that lined up with the lake. It was more beautiful to me now, than it ever was. Maybe it was because I was taking the time out to actually look around and take it all in, unlike when I was a kid and just wanted to play around.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Asked my sister, Denise as she stood beside me in a shirt with a black pair of shorts. "This place."

"Yeah, it's pretty amazing." I tell her, as I look around, hearing everyone else talking. "You know, ever since leaving Florida, it wasn't until then, that I fully noticed how good the simple things can be sometimes. I mean, I've noticed it before I left, but it wasn't until I actually did where I noticed it for what felt like years."

She nods. "You spent so much time being wrapped up in what you were going through, that you weren't able to fully enjoy everything and everyone around you."

"Pretty much." I tell her, honestly, looking over at her. "I'm happy to see you, Denise."

"I'm happy to see you, too." She tells me with a smile. Denise stood at 5'10, an inch shorter than Cassandra, and had blonde hair with blue eyes. Though she had dad's nose, like we all did, she looked more like mom. "We all are. It's been hard not seeing you for all this time."

I frown and look down. Kicking the ground, I shove my hands into my pockets. "I feel horrible for not being in contact with all of you until I started talking to mom and dad again a few weeks ago. I promise to never do that again."

"We know, Roman. Don't feel bad about it." She tells me. "You were going through a lot and you needed some time to yourself. Fortunately, you met a special someone in the process."

I flash her a grin and hear her laugh. "You're so cute when it comes to her. Seriously though, she's a sweetheart and we really like her. Besides, she seems to be getting along really well with the kids."

We both look over and see her with my nieces and nephews as they share a conversation. I feel a smile grow on my face, seeing her interact with them and seeing her have interest in doing so. My eyes stay on her as she's dressed in a grey shirt and jean shorts with sandles and her bathing suit underneath in case. Cassandra has always been good with kids, as it's seen when she's with her students. It made me wonder how she would be with kids of our own. I quickly shake my head at the thought, and cleared my throat.

"Do the two of you live together?" Denise asks.

"No, but we have been to each other's place." I tell her.

I see Denise look over at me and smile. "But you want to."

"We've only been together for a little over four months." I tell her. "It's too soon for that. She probably thinks so, too."

"We're not going to bite your head off for wanting it." She says.

I fix my sunglasses, and decided to keep them on. "Everyone damn near chopped my head off the last time I wanted to move in with someone."

"We wanted you to be happy, Roman." Denise says. "We just thought it was the wrong person when you were with her. If you want to take that step of moving in with her, if it's something that you're serious about, then talk to her about it. You won't know what she thinks about it, until it's talked about."

"I just want it to go right with Cassandra. I don't want to mess anything up with her." I say. "She means so much to me."

"We like Cassandra. She makes you happy." I hear her say.

"I want to make her happy, too." I say, quietly.

Denise nudges me with her elbow. "The two of you are crazy about each other. It's so obvious to us. Don't lose that spark that you two have with each other."

We make our way over to where everyone else was and I sat next to my mom. I rest my head on her shoulder and I feel her hand on the side of my face as her cheek rests on my head.

"I love you, mom." I tell her.

"I love you, too." She says and I hear the smile in her voice. "What's going on in that head of yours?"

I shake my head. "Nothing. Just wanting to have a good time, today."

"So go have a good time." My mom says with a smile. "I know how much you like spending time with her."

"Yeah, I do." I say with a smile. "Is it okay if her and I sit out on the porch later today?"

"Of course." My mom replies. "You can get some time for yourselves, away from everyone."

I kiss her cheek and I then go over to where Cassandra was with my nieces and nephews. I talk to the kids for a bit before they go to play some games.

"Hey, baby." I say, placing my hands on her waist.

"Hi." She says with a smile before we share a kiss. "You having a good time?"

I smile and nod. "Yes. Are you?"

"Yup. The kids are so cute, and I like them already." She tells me.

"They like you, too." I tell her with thoughts coming back into my head from earlier about how she would be with our own kids. She steps closer to me and rests her hands on my waist as my arms wrap around her. Resting her head on my chest, I kiss her head and keep her close to me. I smile, finding peace in something as simple as holding her.

Giving me that beautiful smile of hers when she looks up at me, I hold the side of her face and gently stroke her cheek with my thumb. Leaning down, I give her a kiss that lingers before hearing my brother whistle.

"Okay, lovebirds." He says with a smile on his face.

Cassandra hides her face in my chest and I hear her whimper, softly. I knew she wanted some privacy and we would get that later today, I'd make sure of it.

"Don't worry, we'll get some time, okay?" I say in her ear.

She nods as she turns her face to where I could see it. I kiss her nose and I see her smile, and seeing her wanting to hide her face again. Cassandra squeals when I pick her up and spin her around and ends up laughing as she wraps her arms around my neck before I put her down.

"Roman." She says with a big smile.

"Don't ever lose that smile, baby." I tell her. "It's beautiful, just like the woman that's standing in front of me."

Her face turns a shade of pink as her green eyes look up at me. Cassandra cups my face in her hands and we rest our foreheads against each other's.

"I love you, so much, you know that?" She asks.

"I love you, too." I tell her with a smile, touching her nose with mine.

I take her hand in mine and intertwine our fingers as we make our way back to the tables. We sat next to each other as we watched the kids go off to play by the lake. We all told them to be careful, even as we all kept an eye on them. We eventually joined them and played around with them until we decided that it was time to go to lunch, a little over two hours later.

We get to a diner that I used to go to when I still lived here and the food was always amazing. I would come here on the weekends with my friends and the people who worked here would always greet me from how often I would show up. We all go in and we grab a few tables for all of us.

The diner had a complete 50's style and feel to it, which is something that I loved about it. When I was younger, the waiters and waitresses used to go around in skates, while now they don't. But it's still good memories to have. A lot of the same pictures that I used to see when I was younger are still up on the walls, in new frames with some new pictures. After our orders were taken, we waited for our food while taking a few sips of our drinks in the meantime, as well as having conversations.

"When are you two going back home?" Asked my dad.

"By the end of the week." I tell him, playing with the paper that came with my straw. "I have to go back to school to start up with football training and then the school year starts back up soon after that, as well."

"You like what you do?" He asks.

I nod. "I love it. I still get to do something that has to do with football, even though I'm not the one playing. I'm at a good place in my life, right now, though and if I had to change anything, I wouldn't."

"You like it in Texas?" He asks with a smile.

"Yeah, I do." I tell him with a smile of my own. "I got my job, which I love. I managed to make some really good friends and I got my girl. It's a healthy relationship and we're doing really good."

He gives me an approving nod and looks over at the woman sitting beside me. I do the same and our eyes meet. We share a smile and she leans over to kiss my cheek. I whispered a few sweet words in her ear, causing her her face to turn a shade of pink, making me smile.

"She's it." He tells me, when I look back over at her. "Don't let her go."

"I don't plan on it." I say, knowing exactly what he was talking about as the food finally came.

"Roman, dad and I were going to go out for a drive later today." Rosey said. "You want to come along with us?"

I take a bite of my burger and I nod. "That sounds good."

 _ **That evening...**_

"How's Texas treating you, big guy?" Asked my brother, while we're in his car. He and dad are up front and I'm in the back seat of his SUV Cadillac Escalade.

"It's going great, man. I got good things going for me." I tell him. "How's everything going, here?"

"It's been going pretty good." He says. "It feels good having you back."

I smile and look out the window. "It feels good being back, too. I didn't think I'd come back home, after everything, but I'm glad that I did. I missed everyone."

"We missed you, too." Our dad, says. "But, as the saying goes, home is where the heart is. Roman's heart is with Cassandra."

"There's actually truth to that." I hear myself say, still looking out the window. "My heart belongs to her and it scares me because it's my whole heart that belongs to her. Not just part of it, but I love it because she knows how to take of it."

"How did it go with the whole meeting her family thing?" My brother asks when we stop at a light. "I know dad mentioned it, but I don't think I was there to hear him mention how it went."

I smile, thinking about it. "It's been pretty good. Like Cassandra's mentioned, she has an older brother and three little sisters. Her family seems pretty well knit, which I like because it reminds me of us and how close we all are with each other."

"That's good. They treat you well?" Dad asked.

"Yes, they do." I reply. "I really like them. They're really nice people. Her dad was a bit hard to impress at first, but I understand why. That's his little girl."

Dad chuckles and agrees. "What father wouldn't be, when it comes to their daughters?"

"As much as I like Cassandra, though, I want you to be happy. I don't want you getting hurt again." Rosey, says. "Megan did a number on you and I would hate for that to happen to you again. With her, you were always heartbroken and miserable."

"I know I've been hurt before, I don't need people to keep reminding me, every chance they get." I say a little bit too hard, before softening my tone. "I'm sorry. I'm in love with Cassandra and I want her in my life. Everything that I have gone through...it's all led me to her and it was the last thing I expected. I didn't think I would have someone so amazing in my life."

When we got back to my parents house, the aroma of dinner was in the air. We find my mom about to walk into the kitchen, when she turns around and sees us. I greet her first with a long hug and a kiss on the cheek, before dad and my brother do the same.

"Where's Cassandra?" I ask, craving to see her and to be in her arms.

"She's in the kitchen." My mom says. "She's helping me out with dinner."

I go to the kitchen and see her, putting her hair up a bit. She turns around and smiles when she sees me. I feel a smile pulling at my lips as she walks into my arms and we share a hug.

"Hi, beautiful." I say in her ear.

"Roman." She says, and I see the grin on her face as she leans into me.

Cassandra wraps her arms around my neck, and we share a kiss. Feeling her lips graze my jaw after we pull away, I just wanted to curl her up in my arms. She greets my dad and my brother before hiding her face in my chest, before showing it again. Her green eyes, piercing through the kitchen as she contently stayed in my arms.

"You okay?" I ask her, as I stroke the small of her back with my hand.

"Yeah." Cassandra says with a soft smile.

I gently kiss her temple and remembered, how she felt earlier today. "You want to curl up?"

"Yes." She quietly, replies, snuggling closer to me.

"We'll still get some time after dinner. Just the two of us." I tell her, hearing everyone else talking in the background.

"Okay." She says. Hearing our names, we bring our attention back to everyone else.

"I'm going to go home." My brother says. "You two need anything before, I go?"

"I'm okay, thank you." Cassandra says, warmly and with a smile.

"I'm good, too. Thanks for asking and thanks for the drive." I tell him before we all said goodnight to him before he left.

Dad and I then helped set the table for dinner, while my mom and Cassandra finished up with cooking. The two of us smiled and enjoyed watching the two of them interact so comfortably with each other. It means a lot to me, having my family like her and get along with her so well because this woman is the love of my life and she means the world to me.

After my dad and I go wash up for dinner, they go do the same as we place the food on the plates. We're having steak with mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese. My mouth watered at the sight and the smell.

"Ready for dinner?" Asks my mom as they walk back into the kitchen.

"Yes." My dad and I say, in unison.

They both smile at us and we all take a seat after grabbing something to drink.

"There's some cheesecake for desert, if anyone wants some." My mom says. "It's in the fridge."

"I love cheesecake." Cassandra says with a smile.

I chuckle softly, and kiss her cheek. "I love cheesecake, too. I always have. And this dinner. Thanks for making dinner."

"Yes, thank you." My dad says, taking a bite of his steak.

After dinner, we all had some dessert and watched some television before Cassandra went upstairs to take a shower. When I go up to our room, I see that she had just came out of the shower and was wearing a tank top with shorts and her hair was put up. I kissed her forehead and took in the scent of the soap that she had used. Cassandra now smelled like jasmine and it's a smell that I have grown to like because of her. My arms find their way around her as if they had a mind of their own. Cassandra rests her hands on my waist and I stroke the small of her back.

"I'm going to take a shower and then it's you and me, baby." I tell her

"Okay." Cassandra tells me, with that smile of hers.

We share a kiss before I grab a towel and go to the bathroom after finding a pair of basketball shorts and a wife beater, to wear afterwards. Once I got in the shower, it was only about 15 minutes, before I came back out and got dressed. I went back downstairs and saw Cassandra sitting on the couch with my parents and I grab her hand, and helped her up.

"Can we still go out to the porch for a bit?" I ask them, intertwining our fingers together, when I keep Cassandra's hand in mine.

"Sure." They say.

The two of us go out to the porch, closing the door behind us, but making sure it wasn't locked so that we could get back in. I go to a large seat that was big enough for two people, and we both sat down. I wrap my arm around her and let her rest her head on my chest, when she curled up beside me. I take in her scent, like I always do and smile, breathing in what was now a familiar scent.

"Did you mean it when you said that you would like marriage and kids, too?" She asks, resting her hand on my side.

"Yes." I tell her. "It's something that I've wanted for a while. Did you mean it, too when you said it's something you've wanted?"

"Yeah, I did." Cassandra replies. "I've always wanted it. I just always thought it should be with the right person."

My arm wraps around her waist and I pull her closer to me. "I think so, too, about it being with the right person. There's something that's been on my mind, though."

"Like what?" She asked, playing with my shirt.

"I've been thinking about how I want to call Texas, 'home', a bit more." I said.

Cassandra picks her head up and looks up at me. "I kind of thought you did. I mean, I know you were born and raised here in Pensacola, but still."

"I was just thinking that...home doesn't always have to be a place. It doesn't always have to be having a roof over your head, every night. To some people, 'home' could be where your heart is. It could be being in the arms of someone you love and care about. For me, home is where my heart is and you have my heart. I find comfort with being in your arms and they feel like home to me. I know it probably sounds corny, or cheesy or something, but I thought you should know."

"Yeah?" She asked as her green eyes sparkled.

"Yes." I say, cupping the side of her face with my free hand, as my fingers reached the back of her neck. "I miss you so much when we're not together. And when we are, I never want it to end. I love you, Cassandra."

"I love you, too." She tells me, with that beautiful smile of hers.

Cassandra touches my nose with hers and my lips catches hers for a kiss. I pull her closer to me as the kiss deepens and becomes passionate. She rests her hand on the side of my face as we continue our kiss. Hesitantly pulling away, we keep our lips close to each others. I needed and wanted her in more ways than one. After fifteen more minutes of talking and being in each other's arms, we went back inside to see my parents watching television. We took a seat on the couch and I quickly took Cassandra back into my arms. When my parents decided to call it a night, it left the two of us alone in the living room. Turning off the television, I get up and put the remote back upstairs. I smile, seeing Cassandra's adorable little pout and I give her a quick kiss.

"I'm taking you to bed." I tell her. "And we won't be doing any sleeping."

"That sounds like a good plan." I hear her say, as she grabs my hands and I follow her to the bedroom.

Closing the door behind us and locking it, we didn't waste any time making love to each other the entire night. We reached our climax together, again and again, physically enjoying each other until we were no longer able to do so, no matter how much we wanted to keep going. Ending the night, tangled in the sheets, with our legs tangled with each other's as we lay in each other's arms.

I couldn't find the words to explain how she made me feel, each and every day. Sometimes, I know the exact words to use to describe it. Other times, I'm at a loss for words, and it's an amazing feeling for me. I finally have a woman in my life that I wanted to make mine. I just hoped that she felt the same way.

 **A/N: Do you think Roman is ready to move in with Cassandra? Will she think that it's too soon? What about Roman thinking about how she would be with kids of their own after seeing her with his nieces and nephews?**


	17. Chapter 17

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed and to those who have put this story on their favorites and alerts list!**

 ***Cassandra's POV***

It was our last day here in Florida, and Roman and I had just finished getting dressed after our shower. I had worn shorts with a beige tank top and my hair in a long ponytail while Roman was dressed in shorts and a white shirt. His long hair was in his usual bun, and it was neat and slicked back. Roman hugged me from behind as I was fixing my shirt and smiled as he nuzzled my neck.

"You smell good." He says with that smile of his playing across his lips.

"Thanks." I say, softly giggling as he keeps his arms around me and digs his face into my neck like he sometimes does when we're sleeping. "Are you ready to go back home?"

I lean against him and nod. "Yeah, are you?"

"Yes. I'm going to miss it here, though. It was nice seeing everyone and spending time with them." He tells me. "But the amazing part of going back, is that I get to go back with you."

"Yeah?" I ask.

He nods before giving me a wink. "You're my baby and you're my home."

I feel my face grow warm and I turn around to hide my face in his chest. His lips land on my temple as his arms stay around me. I poke my head up to look at him and I meet his blue/grey eyes. We share a few kisses before making our way downstairs, for breakfast. His parents were already there, eating some cereal and we decided to have the same thing with some orange juice.

"When does training start for football?" His mom asks as she eats some cereal.

"Next week." Roman tells her. "The teachers go back, not too long after that. So we're going back home at a good time."

I drink some juice and grab a napkin. "Thank you again, for letting us come and allowing us to stay here for a few days."

"Anytime." His mother says. "You're more than welcome to come and stay here. Both of you."

"Thank you again to both of you and to everyone else, for accepting Cassandra." Roman told them. "It means a lot to me that you all got along with her and that you like her. She means the world to me, and I want you all to like her."

"We love Cassandra. You're the happiest that we've ever seen you, because of her." His dad says with a smile. "And she's good for you."

I look over at Roman and we share a smile before we continue eating our breakfast. When we're finished, we help clean up before going back upstairs and to get our things. Once we finish with that, and making sure that we have everything we need, we talk for a few more minutes with his parents.

"Let us know when you get back to Texas." Patricia, his mom, tells him while she fixes his hair.

"Mom." He says with a big smile as he takes her hands in his and place them on each side of his face. She gives him a big smile and he hugs her. "I'll definitely do that. I promise."

"Okay. Now go get on the road. We know it'll be a long drive." She says to us.

"It was great, meeting you." Sika, says, giving me a hug. "We hope to see you again."

I give them a smile. "I hope to see you soon, too. It was great meeting everyone and it's really nice here."

Patricia and I share a hug, before Roman and his parents share one more hug. They open the door for us when we get our bags and walk with us to the car. Roman opens the trunk and puts in our bags, and makes sure that we have everything before closing it.

Roman gives his dad a hug, before giving his mom a long and tight hug. "I'm going to miss you."

"I'm going to miss you, too." She tells him, still hugging him. "Be safe and we hope to see you two again, soon."

"You will." He says, pulling away. "I love you, mom."

"I love you, too." She tells him, taking his face in her hands. "Be safe, both of you and have a good trip back."

"We will." We tell her before Roman opens the door for me on the passenger side.

After I get in, he does the same on his side and starts the car. We pull out a few moments after getting our seatbelts on and Roman honks the horn when we get out of the driveway. We wave at his parents before we drive off and I hear him let out a soft sigh. I take his hand a few minutes after we get out on the road and I see him give a soft smile. Roman gives my hand soft kisses, before occasionally stroking it with his thumb.

"You okay?" I ask him, noticing after a while, how quiet he was.

"Yeah, I'm good. I'm just missing them already." He softly says.

I look down at our hands that were joined and how mine perfectly fit into his. Tracing his tattoo, I kiss his cheek, before I do the same to his shoulder.

"We'll see them again, soon." I quietly tell him.

"I know." Roman says.

When he doesn't say much else, I momentarily let go of his hand to play with my fingers. I look out the window and put in my headphones about thirty minutes later to listen to music. I understand why he would miss them so much. I would too, if I had seen my family for the first time in such a long time. But I wanted him to be happy, about the fact that he's going to be going home with me, too. Was that a bad thing?

When we finally got back to Houston, after hours of driving, Roman drove me back to my apartment, and I saw my car, still there and in the same spot as it was in when we left. I get out of the car after it's parked and walk over to mine, looking at it and making sure it was okay. Even though Kaitlyn and Samantha would come to make sure everything was okay, I still wanted to check my car.

"Everything okay?" I hear Roman ask, behind me.

"Yeah." I reply, seeing for myself that my car was okay.

I feel his large hands gently grab mine and turn me around so that I can face him. "Are _you_ okay?"

"Yes." I tell him and his hands cup my face. He touches my nose with his and circles his arms around my waist, making me want to melt in them. I let out a soft whimper, before hiding my face in his chest and taking in the scent of his cologne. "You've been so quiet all day. Are you mad at me?"

"No." Roman said, lifting my chin up so that I can look at him and I saw curiosity in his eyes. "Why would I be mad at you, baby?"

I feel my lips forming into a pout, as my eyes threaten to look down. "You haven't talked to me so much today. I thought I did something wrong."

"Baby." Roman says, tightening his arms around me as he gives me soft kisses. "I'm not mad at you. I'm so sorry. I'm going to come over, later, okay?" He says, in more of a statement form than a question and it made me smile. "And we're going to have some dinner and watch television while we cuddle."

I nod. "You sure? We could do something else."

"No, I'm spending my night with my girl." Roman tells me, giving me a kiss. "I like spending time with you."

I feel my face grow warm as he gives my cheeks a few kisses, causing me to giggle. I smile up at him as he does the same. He leans down to give me a kiss and keeps me in his arms. When we both pull away, he grabs my suitcases from the trunk of his car, and he takes them upstairs and to my room and took me back into his arms after putting them down. I wrap my arms around his waist and brush my lips against his jaw before looking up at him. Thoughts came into my head of spending endless days and nights with him by my side. Of never wanting to be without him. Of little moments like this, with us in each other's arms, even if it's silent. My dad always taught me how I should be treated by men, and I finally found a man that has lived up to those standards and goes above and beyond for me and who I know without a doubt, loves me.

"What?" We both ask at the same time, realizing how we looked at each other.

"Nothing." I say, sweetly with a soft giggle. "I just really love you."

Roman gives me that amazing smile of his. "I really love you, too."

We share a few more kisses while talking before he leaves to go back to his apartment. I start unpacking and get an early start on some laundry and cleaning. It wasn't long until I finally took a shower and got ready for Roman to get here. When I heard the door knock, I smiled to myself.

"Hi!" I exclaimed happily, jumping into Roman's arms when I open the door.

"Hey, beautiful." Roman said, chuckling as he takes me into his arms, spinning me around.

When he puts me down, he closes the door behind him and gives me a long kiss. I feel his hands gently rest on my waist, as his lips continue to capture mine. I pull away and see the slight pout that he gives me, making me grin. I wrap my arms around his neck and touch his nose with mine.

"You want to order some Chinese food?" I asked.

"Yes. You want the usual?" Roman asks.

I nod, giving him one more kiss before letting him go. "The number and the menu are in the kitchen, if you want to look at it."

Roman goes into the kitchen and I see him looking through the menu before calling a few minutes later. I go the living room and look through the dvd's that I had and put them all back, before I finished looking through them. I see Roman come into the living room with jeans, a black shirt and his hair in a messy bun. I look down at what I was wearing and saw a pair of shorts that were well above my knees and a tank top with my hair in a braid.

"Don't worry, baby. You look perfect." He says, taking my hands in his and taking me with him to the couch.

Roman takes me into his arms and I cuddle up against his body when I sit next to him. I hide my face in his chest and feel him reaching for the remote. Hearing the television turn on, I wrap an arm around his waist and turn my attention to the television.

"Are you excited for school to start?" He asks, playing with my hair.

"Yeah, I like being a teacher." I tell him. "I'm just not looking forward to the stress that comes with it."

Roman softly laughs. "I'm not looking forward to it, either. But I like being a coach, so I know it'll be worth it."

"What are you thinking about?" I softly ask him, looking up at him and seeing that his eyes were filled with thought.

"Nothing." He says, rubbing my side with his hand.

I look up at him again and see his eyes look into mine. Just when Roman's about to say something, the doorbell rings and I suddenly miss the warmth of his body, the moment we both get up from the couch. He opens the door and sees the delivery guy standing on the other side with the bag that contained our food. After asking for the price, I put in my half while Roman gave the guy his and we both thanked him before he left.

He let me take the bag, while he took out two small tables that were neatly folded in the closet near the door. I would sometimes use it for dinner, when I wanted to sit in the living room and watch television while having dinner. It was before I met Roman, and even after we started dating, I just kept it in my closet, in case I ever had one of those days again. Bringing out our containers of food with some napkins and forks, Roman gets our drinks and comes out to the living room, carefully sitting down next to me.

"My lease is going to be up soon, and I was thinking about looking for new apartments soon before it does." He tells me, as he takes a bite of his rice.

"Anything specific in mind?" I ask him, as I eat some of my food. "Like are you going to stick to a one-bedroom or go for two bedrooms or what?"

He thinks for a moment. "I was thinking about a two bedroom. Something a bit bigger than what I have now. I just have to see what the rent is for a two bedroom. And one that's not ridiculously far from school or the supermarket or anything like that. I was wondering though, if you can come with me to look at the apartments."

"That sounds good. I'd like to go with you." I tell him honestly and excitedly. "Just let me know when you're going to go look for places so I could know when to go with you."

"Yes, ma'am." Roman says with a smile. "You're going to have Kaia with you this weekend?"

I nod, as I drink some of my soda. "Yes, so I may just stay over at their place, but I was thinking about having her come here and stay in the extra room. I have a few things here for her, in case she was to ever stay like one of her coloring books and a few reading books for her. Kaia's been asking for you, though. I don't know how you did it, but you managed to get her to like you."

"I like her, too." He says, chuckling. "Kaia's adorable."

"Yeah, she is. That reminds me of a certain guy, who's incredibly adorable." I say, kissing Roman's cheek.

He leans over and showers me with kisses, causing me to laugh. Our lips eventually meet for a kiss, before we look into each other's eyes with a smile on each of our faces.

"I love you." I tell him.

"I love you, too." Roman replies with a smile of his own before giving me another kiss.

We went on to finish our dinner and cleaned up before continuing to watch television. I curled up beside Roman when he took me in his arms on the couch. He plays with my hair as he gently curls some of the strands of my hair around his finger. My lips touch his jaw and he kisses my forehead.

As much as I was looking forward to helping him out with looking at apartments, I wanted him beside me, everyday. I wanted to know that he would be right next to me every night and every morning and me just being his arms everyday instead of waiting until we physically saw each other again.

"I was thinking...and hoping that with a two bedroom apartment, you can stay over a bit more." I hear Roman say. "If you have any of your sisters over the weekend or overnight, they can stay in the extra room."

"Sounds like you want me to spend some extra time at your place." I say, playing with the bottom of his shirt.

"I do." He replies without hesitation. "If that's okay with you, I mean. I don't want to force you to spend extra time at my place."

"That sounds good, actually. I don't mind spending some extra time with you." I said with a smile, looking up at him. "You're more than welcome to come over while she's here, you know?"

"Does that mean I can stay over?" He asks, tracing my jaw with his fingertips.

My lips form into a soft smile when I feel them. "I want you to."

Roman's large hands cups my face and he looks deeply into my green eyes. The truth is, if I could have him here every single day and night, without him ever having to leave to go back to his place, I would. I don't know what's gotten into me to be thinking about us living together, but I am thinking about it, nonstop. I've never thought about moving in with someone before making a year into a relationship, and with Roman, it's different. It scares me a bit, but at the same time, I can't help it. Noticing that he was thinking about something as his eyes searched all over my face, I knew my face gave a curious look by the way he seemed to have relaxed as well as the smile that formed on his face. If only I could tell him how much I wanted to live with him without worrying about if it was too soon for that step.

 **A/N: What do you think of Cassandra wanting to move in with Roman? What about him wanting her to help him look for apartments? Will this help Roman get the courage to ask her to move in with him? Was him being so quiet be that it was on his mind?**


	18. Chapter 18

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed the previous chapter and who have put this story on their favorites and alerts list!**

 ***Roman's POV***

Walking out of my apartment after a shower, I was going to make my way to meet up with Dean and two of our friends. After a much needed morning at the gym, I was ready to face the day. I couldn't sleep at all last night, so my workout this morning helped a bit. Driving to the diner that I was going to meet with Dean and our two friends, I thought about Cassandra. She had Kaia starting today, but I was going to go spend the weekend with the two of them and I was actually looking forward to it.

"My brotha." Said Dean as he walked up to me after I got out of my car, with Michael and Josh. I greeted all three of them and we went inside the diner. We made our way to a table and looked through the menu's after we ordered our drinks. The guys all talked about their relationships and when it was my turn, they all turned their attention to me.

"It's going great. My family loves her." I say with a smile, remembering our time in Florida. "I'm going to ask her to move in with me, though."

"Are you ready for that next step?" Asks Micheal, who's married to Kaitlyn, who just so happens to be Cassandra's best friend, as well.

Though I didn't meet them until after Cassandra and I started dating, we had become good friends, as well. We sometimes go to the gym together, even though the majority of the time, I go with Dean.

"Yeah, I'm more than ready. I'm just nervous to ask her." I tell them. "I don't know what she'll say, but I want to take that next step with her. My lease is about to be over soon, so I asked her if she could help me look for a new apartment. It's a good way to get her opinion on the apartments. We'll see what happens."

"What's making you nervous about it?" Dean asks.

I thought for a moment. "Not only is it because I'm nervous of what she'll say, but because the last ti me I wanted to move in with a girlfriend, that relationship, just messed me up big time. I don't want our relationship to get all messed up, just because we move in together."

"Cassandra's a sweet girl, though." Says Josh who's in a relationship with Samantha, who's a teacher at Houston High and really good friends with Cassandra as well. I doubt she would ever turn out like the last one."

"I know she won't." I say.

After the waiter brings our food, we thank him and I feel my phone vibrate. I check and see that it's a text from Cassandra. When I open up the text, I see that it's a text from Cassandra, telling me to have a good day. I reply with the same thing, adding that I love her before she replies with an 'I love you, too'.

"Damn, you are hooked and wrapped around her finger, aren't you?" Josh asks with a chuckle.

"I am, not." I reply, knowing who they were referring, too.

They all look at each other and then back at me. "Dude, you just had the biggest smile on your face and your eyes just lit up. You know damn well, you're not going to have that look on your face for anyone else."

"Okay, so maybe I'm wrapped around her finger." I say, putting my phone away and grabbing the ketchup, knowing how easily she can make me smile. They look at me, expecting more. "Okay, so I'm completely wrapped around her finger. I don't know how she did it, but it managed to happen."

We all laughed and began eating our food. "It's okay, though. We all are wrapped around our women's fingers."

That evening, I parked my car next to Cassandra's outside of her apartment complex and grabbed my bag from the back seat. I locked the car and went up the stairs and knocked on the door. A moment later, she opens the door with a smile on her face and a tiny girl, standing a few feet behind her.

"Hey baby." I say with a smile as I walk in.

"Hi, baby." She says with that beautiful smile of hers as she closes the door behind us.

"Hi, Roman!" Exclaimed Kaia, in a tiny voice when she runs up to me.

I bend down and give her a hug, smiling when her tiny arms try to wrap around my neck. I stand up, picking Kaia up with me, and I give her a high five.

"How have you been since the last time I saw you?" I ask her, as she grabs on to my hand.

"Good." She says with a smile. "Cassandra's making dinner, are you going to stay?"

"Yes, I'll stay." I tell her.

"Okay." Kaia replies, before I put her down and stands in between Cassandra and I.

Taking my bag to her room, I put it down and see the two of them smiling and laughing when I turn around. Thoughts came back into my mind, about how good she would be with kids of our own and I knew that Cassandra would be the one that I want to make the mother of my children. We just need to make a few things happen first, before that comes about.

"Go wash up for dinner, okay? It's almost ready." Cassandra tells Kaia before the little girl goes into the bathroom. She follows behind Kaia, to help her reach the sink, and to make sure that she doesn't fall. When they come back out, Kaia goes into the living room.

I go up to Cassandra and grab her waist. Leaning down, her lips met mine halfway and we shared a kiss before we pulled away. Her arms wrap around my neck, as mine circle her waist to keep her close to me.

"I didn't forget about giving you a kiss." I tell her, brushing my lips against hers.

"Another one." Cassandra says, giggling.

I chuckle and we share another kiss before hearing tiny footsteps running around. She goes to the kitchen, while I try to keep Kaia occupied until dinner's ready.

"You want to help me set the table?" I ask her.

"Yes." She says, grabbing on to two of my fingers and walks beside me.

I grab some napkins and hand them to her. "You want to put these on the table?"

"Okay." Kaia says, taking them carefully in her hands. I take three forks and place them on the table, before picking her up when I see her about to try to climb up one of the chairs. When she puts the napkins on the table, I put her back down and let her walk in front of me, back to the kitchen.

Cassandra was now putting food on everyone's plate and I hugged her from behind. Seeing her smile, I kissed her shoulder as she leaned back against me. I whispered a few sweet words in her ear, and saw her blush before she gave me a kiss. We share a smile and I then go get the cups to wash them. I fill Kaia's with juice and put it on the table for her before filling mine and Cassandra's up with soda.

"Ready for dinner?" I asked Kaia, when I see her walking around in the kitchen. She nods and grabs my hand again, as we go to the table. I sit Kaia in her chair that Cassandra had for her and went back into the kitchen, to start bringing the food back to the dining table.

"Babe, can you cut up the steak into small pieces for Kaia?" Cassandra asks, after I wash my hands.

I take Kaia's plate and take in the mouth watering aroma of the food. Taking her fork, I start cutting up the pieces for her and notice that Kaia's watching on. I make some silly faces and hear her giggle. When I finish, I put the fork down on her plate and see Cassandra come to the table after washing her hands.

"Ready to eat?" She asks Kaia.

"Yes." She replies grabbing her fork.

I give Cassandra a kiss and see that smile of hers, I love so much. "Thank you for dinner."

"You're welcome." She says, giving me another kiss.

Looking down on the plate, I see steak with rice and pinto beans with some mashed potatoes. I take a bite, and I close my eyes in pleasure as my taste buds enjoy every bite.

"It tastes okay?" Cassandra asks.

"It's perfect." I tell her, eating some of the rice that I had mixed up with the beans.

She kisses my cheek with a smile and turns her attention to Kaia. "The food's okay?"

"Yeah, it tastes good." Kaia says, eating a piece of her steak after grabbing it with her fingers.

"I can see that." I chuckled. "I was thinking though, that maybe later tonight, we can start looking up some places and see what we can check out in person."

"That sounds good." She says. "Let me just give her a bath first and watch some television with her, then we can take a look."

I nodded as I eat. "We could do that. You know, you're really good with her."

"Thanks." Cassandra says with a smile as she eats her food. "I love my little Kaia. And I love kids."

"I know you do, and I love that." I say. "So tell me, Kaia, how was your day?"

We see her drinking her juice, before Cassandra hands her a napkin. "It was fun. Cass took me to the park and she played with me on the swing."

"Yeah? You like playing on the swing?" I ask her.

"Yes. It feels like you're flying!" Kaia says and I chuckle.

"So you like being high up in the air like that?" I ask, eating my food.

She nods. "Yes, it's so cool! Have you ever been on a swing before?"

"Yes, and I think it's pretty cool, too. Especially when I was your age." I tell her. "A little birdie told me that you like to play hide and seek."

"Yeah, because I'm good at hiding." Kaia says, with a smile on her face.

I smile at her and eat some of my mashed potatoes. "So if we play hide and seek, you'll find me before I find you?"

"Maybe." Kaia says, giggling.

After dinner, we got Kaia to sit in the living room, to watch a show on the Disney Channel, while Cassandra and I clean up in the kitchen. Once I put the pots away, I sit Cassandra up on the counter and stand in between her legs as her arms rest on my shoulders. I give her a kiss and we both share a smile.

"What do you want to do tomorrow?" Cassandra asks me.

"Something that Kaia will like, too." I reply. "I heard it was supposed to rain tomorrow."

Our fingers find their way around each other and intertwine. We spent the next few minutes, sharing kisses and softly talking before we go back to the living room.

"Cass!" She happy exclaims with the biggest smile on her face as she walks up to her and takes her hand before taking mine.

We sit on the floor with her, and play with her while she occasionally turns her attention to what was on television.

"What color is this?" I ask her, holding one of her toys, a red triangle.

"It's red." She says in a tiny voice.

I gasp, playfully. "Red? I thought it was blue."

"That's not blue." Kaia says, before showing me a blue circle. "This is blue."

"Oh, okay. I get it." I say to her with a smile. "What shapes are those?"

She looks at the two toys and thinks for a moment. "This is a circle."

"Good, now what's the other one?" I ask, pointing to the triangle.

"Um..." She starts saying, thinking about it. "Triangle?"

Cassandra and I both smile. "Good job."

Kaia smiles up at me before turning her attention to Cassandra. "I like him."

"I like him, too. Very much." She replies, looking over at me with a sweet smile.

We continued playing with her until Cassandra went to get Kaia ready for her bath. In the meantime, I managed to get her to put away the little bit of toys that she took out and helped her put them away in her room.

"You make Cassandra happy." She tells me, standing in front of me.

"She makes me very happy, too." I tell her, honestly.

Kaia smiles up at me before we hear someone at the door. We look back and see Cassandra there, smiling at the both of us. She took Kaia for her bath before we enjoyed the rest of our night, right before Cassandra puts her in bed. When she comes back into the living room, I have my laptop out, looking for two bedroom apartments.

"Find anything, yet?" She asks when she sits next to me.

"I just found this one." I tell her, showing her the pictures. "It's a two-bedroom with a balcony, a master bedroom, one and a half baths."

Cassandra curls up beside me and I smile. "A full size kitchen, and living room. Central air conditioning and there's the community pool."

"And there's a playground, so whenever you have your sisters over, we don't have to take them far." I add. "It looks like a decent size."

"Let me write down the number." She says, grabbing a piece of paper and a pen from the small table in front of us. "Maybe we can call tomorrow and set something up."

She takes a few moments to write down the phone number and the address listed for the apartment complex before we look up a few more places. Because I wanted to find a way to ask Cassandra to move in with me, that meant looking up places that were great neighborhoods, not only for the two of us, but for whenever she had her sisters with her. Maybe even for kids of our own, someday.

"What about that one?" Cassandra asks. "That one looks nice, too and the rent doesn't look too bad."

"Let's see..." I say, as I click on the link for more information. "It's a two bedroom, one is a master room connected to a bathroom. A washer and dryer, a nice looking living room and it all looks like a decent size. I like the way it all looks."

She rests her head on my shoulder, and I take in her scent. Jasmine and a hint of vanilla. "And it has a pool and a playground. It was a gym and it says it's close to Houston High, which is really good. We should try to get an appointment to look at some apartments there."

"Yeah, that sounds good." I say, seeing her writing down the phone number and address.

"Let's go take a shower." She whispers in my ear.

"Sure." I say, quickly agreeing.

Cassandra softly laughs, before she gets up to go check on Kaia. I turn off my laptop and take it to the room, as I see her going into the bathroom. When I make my way there, she's already down to her bra and panties, with her hair out, with her back facing me. I close the door behind me as she undoes her bra and let's it fall on the floor. I enjoyed the view and it didn't take long before we were both in the shower, sharing kisses and slowly passing on the body wash over each other's bodies.

I kissed down to her neck and gently nipped at a small area, hearing her let out a soft moan as one of her hands made their way into my hair. The free one rested on my arm as they wrapped around her waist. I picked her up and felt her legs wrap around my waist as her arms made their way around my neck. Our lips meet for a kiss and it turns passionate before I put her back down. Cassandra pulls away and she leaves a trail of kisses down my chest. I cup her face in my hands and capture her lips for another kiss. I feel her hands slowly run down my sides, before she rests them on my stomach. When we finally decided to get out of the shower, we dried ourselves and I followed Cassandra back into the room as she was covered with her towel and her clothes in her hand. After putting on some clothes, she went to check on Kaia to make sure she was okay.

I took Cassandra in my arms when she came back and we closed the door behind us. She gives me that beautiful smile as I pick her up and lay her down in bed. When I got comfortable, she laid her head on my chest and wrapped her arm around my waist, as she snuggled as close to me as she could. I love having her in my arms, and I was hoping she'd say yes to moving in with me so I can have this moment every single day. I play with her hair and see her green eyes look up before she closes them with a smile on her face.

"Kaia's birthday is next month." She softly says, tracing the tattoo on my chest. "Dad and Michelle want to put together a little something for her with all of us."

"Can I come?" I ask.

"Of course, you can. They love you and Kaia does, too." Cassandra says.

I kiss her head, and pull her closer to me, as if not wanting her to leave. "I love you."

"I love you, too." She tells me, looking up at me. Stroking her cheek with my thumb, I give her a kiss before we spend the rest of night just talking.

 **A/N: Do you think Roman's really wrapped around Cassandra's finger? Are you glad that he's interacting with Kaia the way that he is? What about Roman and Cassandra beginning to look for** **apartments?**


	19. Chapter 19

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed on the previous chapter and to those who have put this story on their favorites and alerts list!**

* **Cassandra's POV***

We make our way to the first apartment complex that we had found last night. Roman and I managed to get an appointment today, for 11:30 and so we had woken up early to get here on time. Holding Kaia's hand after we got out of the car, we walked into the main building, and let the woman at the front desk that we had an appointment. It was pouring outside before we left my place, but luckily, it stopped by the time we left.

Looking up at Roman, I see a look in his eyes that gave me butterflies. He had on a white shirt with jeans and sneakers, with his hair pulled back into a neat bun. Giving me that smile of his, he wraps his arm around my waist to keep me close to him.

"What?" I ask, as he keeps looking at me. I had on beige shorts with a red shirt and flats with my hair in a ponytail.

"You're beautiful." Roman tells me as he strokes my cheek with his free hand.

I smile before feeling my face grow warm. Trying to hide my face in his chest, he cups my chin with his free hand, before I do, and gives me a kiss. I touch his nose with mine when we pull away and we share a smile.

"Mr. Reigns?" Asked a deep voice. When we looked, it was a man who was smaller than Roman, but seemed to be in good shape. He was dressed in a grey suit, with a grey tie and dress shoes with a nice haircut.

"Yes?" Roman asked, looking over at him.

The man smiled as he walked up to us. "Good morning, my name is Mr. Ross and I'll be showing you around today at a few apartments."

"Nice to meet you." Roman said, as they shook hands. "This is my girlfriend, Cassandra and her little sister, Kaia."

"Nice to meet you." I tell him, shaking his hand. "Say, 'hi' Kaia."

She gives him a smile and hides behind my legs, before poking her head from behind as she holds on to one of my legs. Kaia had on a pink shirt, with capris and sneakers with her hair in a braid. The man just smiles sweetly at her before taking us to where the first apartment was. We walk out of the main building and went over to the one next to it, before walking up the stairs.

"As you can see, we have a pool here." Mr. Ross says. "We open it from 7 a.m to 8 p.m. Monday through Sunday. And this will be the first apartment."

"This is a two bedroom, right?" Asked, Roman as we looked around.

Mr. Ross nods. "Yes. This is the living room, and right over there, we have the kitchen. It has granite counters, a new stove, a new fridge and you can look over into the living room from the bar. I'll take you over to the bedrooms."

Following him, I continued to look around at the place, trying to find something that would catch my attention enough for me to like the place. I felt Roman's hand on the small of my back as Kaia held on tightly to my hand.

"This is the bathroom, by the way." Mr. Ross says. We look into the bathroom and it's about the same size as mine. "And here is one of the bedrooms. There's a window overlooking the back, and this would be a good size for a guest or if you have a roommate. Something of that nature. The master bedroom is here."

Kaia walked in first and looked around before walking back to Roman. He picked her up and held her as she looked around. I smiled at the two and stayed close by to Roman.

"The entire apartment has carpets, except for the kitchen and the bathroom." Mr. Ross says. "Every apartment, has central air conditioning, but you can control the temperature." He continues, showing us where we can set it.

"How much is the rent?" I asked.

"It depends on the floor plan, but the rent for a two bedroom in this complex, starts at $865 a month." Mr. Ross says. "This one specifically is at $865 a month. We have three floor plans for one bedroom, two bedrooms and three bedroom apartments."

"Can we see the others first, before making a decision?" I asked.

"Absolutely." Said Mr. Ross, letting us follow him.

"You want to walk?" Roman asked Kaia.

She shook her head, and held on to Roman and he smiled before looking over at me. "It's okay, I got her. Let me see that little smile."

Roman picked her up in the air and made some silly faces, causing Kaia to burst out laughing and quickly holding on to him when he lowered her down a bit. By the time we finished looking at the other two apartments, we went back to the main building and went into what was his office. It was about the same size of Roman's office at school, but with a lot of pictures of what seemed to be his wife and their family.

"So what are you thinking?" Mr. Ross asks. I looked over at Roman to see what he would say, after we sit down and I take Kaia in my lap.

"Is it okay if we have some more time to think about it?" Roman asks. "This place seems pretty nice so far, as is everyone around here that we've seen. My concern is that it is a bit far from where my girlfriend and I work as well as from her family and the area that we're always in. So that is what has me wanting to think on it a bit more."

Mr. Ross nods. "It's understandable. Let me give you my card with my information on it, and let me know what your decision is, or even if it's questions that you have about any of the apartments that you saw today."

"Thank you." We tell him with a smile before shaking his hand.

"And it was nice meeting you, Kaia." He tells my little sister.

She giggles before giving him a big smile. After we were done, we put Kaia in her car seat in the back of my SUV Tahoe, before Roman opened the door for me. There was a slight breeze as the clouds remained in place. I gave Roman a kiss before I went in and let him close the door as I turned the car on and put on my seatbelt.

"Where are we going?" Kaia asked in a tiny voice, from the back.

"Want to go to lunch?" I asked her.

She nods with a smile and I look over at Roman, whose blue/grey eyes were already set on me. He leaned over and gave me a kiss before brushing his lips against mine when we pulled away. We share a smile before I back out of the parking and drive off, back into the road. When we got to our favorite diner for lunch, we got Kaia out of her car seat and held her hand as we walked in. The waitress walked us to a booth and got a high chair for Kaia, before coming back and asking what we would like to drink. Once she came back with our drinks, she also bought some crayons along with some pictures for Kaia to color.

"Thank you." She said in a tiny voice and didn't waste any time taking out a crayon to start coloring.

"What did you think about the apartments?" Roman asked me after we ordered.

I thought for a moment and shrugged. "I mean, they look nice and everything and it's a good neighborhood, but I'm not crazy about them. It didn't interest me as much as I thought it would."

"Same here." He said, reaching for my hands and intertwining our fingers together. I smile and happily keep my hands in his. "I wasn't all that impressed. But that's fine, we'll just keep looking for more places."

The waitress came back with our food and placed them on the table, before asking if we needed anything else. When we told her we were okay, she smiled and went to her other tables.

"So I've been meaning to ask you something." Roman said, after we started eating.

"About what?" I asked, looking up at him after taking a bite of my burger.

He eats one of his fries and looks a bit nervous. "Um...this is something that I've been thinking about for a while, but I always get nervous to ask. One of the reasons for why I asked if you could help me look for apartments, is that, not only do I want your opinion, but because...I know that your lease is about to be over soon as well, and I wanted to know if you would like to move in with me."

"You want me to move in with you?" I asked, feeling happy inside. "You want to live together?"

"Yeah." Roman says, eating his food and looking down at his plate. "That's the main reason for why I wanted to look for a two bedroom apartment. That way Kaia, Gracie, and Chasey could have that room to stay in for whenever you get them overnight or for the weekend or something."

"Will you be okay with me having them, even if it's just overnight?" I asked him. "I know it's probably not easy helping me out with them, but I want you to be okay with it."

Roman gives me a smile. "I'm okay with it. I like kids, so if you ever have them, just like you do with little Ms. Kaia, here, I'll be okay."

I fill with happiness hearing him say that and I lean over to give him a kiss. "You want to live with me?"

"Yes." He tells me.

"How come you didn't just ask me?" I say.

He shrugs as he plays with his food. "I was nervous because I didn't know what you would say and I know we haven't talked about moving in together. And I didn't want you to feel uncomfortable if you thought it was too soon."

"Well, we're going to be living together now, because I am saying yes to moving in with you." I tell him.

Roman gives me the most adorable smile, while giving me a kiss. He chuckles when Kaia squeals and giggles. He helps to put some ketchup on her fries and gives her a napkin for her mouth.

"So now, the apartments we look at, we'll see them with the intention of getting our first place together." Roman says.

"That sounds really good." I tell him, eating a fry. "I like the way that sounds."

We share another kiss before Kaia starts trying to get our attention. Spending the rest of lunch laughing and making jokes, before we leave and go to the library before driving around as Kaia falls asleep in the car, right in time for her nap.

 _ **The next day...**_

Roman and I had just finished sharing a shower where we spent almost the entire time making love. After I put on some clothes, I went to check on Kaia only to see that she was still taking her nap. Going back to the room, Roman picked me up and closed the door behind us. I smile as he takes me to bed and lays me down. Though he lays beside me, his body slightly covers mine as one of his arms wraps me up into him.

"Cassandra." Roman softly says with so much love, as he strokes my cheek with his free hand. Looking into his eyes, I saw the love and passion that laid behind it and it gave me butterflies. "I love you, so much."

"I love you." I say with a smile as our noses touch. "Very, very much."

He gives me that smile of his I love so much, before giving me a kiss. His lips make their way down to my neck, where he makes sure that gets every spot that he can. Our lips meet again for another kiss that's suddenly interrupted by soft knocks at the door.

"Cass." Says a tiny voice from the other side of the door before hearing the doorknob trying to turn.

"Kaia." I said, getting out of Roman's arms and out of bed to get to the door.

When I open, I see my little sister standing on the other side before she hugs my leg. Picking her up, I give her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Had a good nap?"

"Yes." She tells me, resting her head on my shoulders. "Can I have some ice cream?"

"After dinner, okay?" I say, dancing around the room with her.

Her giggles fill the air as she holds on to me and has a big smile on her face. Roman comes from behind and wraps his arms around my waist and dances along with us. I feel the smile playing across his lips as he kisses my temple while Kaia greets him. Putting Kaia down, we go to the living room and turned on the television. We put on some cartoons for her while I curl up beside Roman as he puts his arms around me. Feeling his fingers playing with my hair, I smile happily as I rest my head on his chest before spending the rest of the afternoon watching television with Kaia.

That evening, we made our way into my dad's driveway with Kaia in the backseat as I see my dad's truck. When I parked the car, I got out and got Kaia out of her car seat, while Roman went to the back to get her things from the trunk. He put her things down and took out her car seat before closing the door and grabbing her things again. Locking the car, I put Kaia down and let her hold my hand as we walk to the front door.

"Ready to see mommy and daddy?" I ask.

'Yes, I miss mommy and daddy." She replies in a tiny voice as I picked her up so that she can press the doorbell, as she's dressed in shorts and a blue shirt that helped bring out her blue eyes that she inherited from her mother with sandles and her hair in a ponytail.

The door opens a few moments later and it's Michelle standing at the door with jeans and a black shirt and her blonde hair pulled back into a bun. She smiles when she sees us and it only grows bigger when she sees her daughter.

"Mommy!" Kaia exclaims, running into her mother's arms.

"My baby!" Michelle says, with happiness in her voice as she picks Kaia up. "How's my little girl?"

Michelle stepped aside to let us in and so we put Kaia's things away while she talks to her mom. I took Kaia's bag to her room while Roman put her car seat near the closet by the front door. When I came back downstairs, I hear my dad's voice while he talks to his youngest daughter.

"Daddy!" I say, happily, feeling like I haven't seen him in a long time. I fly into his arms and take in his scent as he hugs me tightly, and kisses my head. as he's dressed in a grey shirt with jeans and sneakers.

"How's my two princesses?" He asks in his deep, Southern voice.

We both smiled at him and told him we were doing good before Kaia told him and Michelle about her weekend with us. My dad continues to hold Kaia in his arms to the kitchen, where the aroma of dinner filled the air. Roman and I helped set the table, as Michelle and my dad put food on everyone's plates when he puts Kaia in her chair.

"Daddy." She says, pouting when he walked away.

"I'm not going anywhere, sweetheart." He tells her, taking something out from the fridge. "See, I'm just getting you a juice."

He gives her a kiss on her head and brings her some dinner. After everyone has their plates, we all sit down to enjoy a home cooked meal. It was roast pork with rice and pinto beans, which smelled amazing.

"Thank you for dinner, Mrs. Calaway." Roman tells her, taking a bite of his food. "And thank you, Mr. Calaway."

"Anytime." Says Michelle with a smile. "So how was Kaia this weekend, was she good?"

"She did pretty good." I tell her. "Kaia was a bit fussy earlier today, but she got better after her nap."

"Can I have ice cream?" Kaia asks.

"After dinner, okay?" Michelle says, giving her some napkins as she drinks some of her juice.

I notice my dad look at me and I smile before looking around and then down at my shirt to see that nothing was there. Looking back up, I continue eating my dinner. He gives me a smile as he does the same. As dinner went on and turned into dessert, Roman would occasionally kiss my cheek when we thought nobody was paying that much attention. After we were all done, and we finished cleaning up, I went to the back with my dad, who was sitting by the pool. Sitting down next to him, I slowly put my feet in the pool after taking off my sandles.

"You look really happy." He tells me.

"I am." I say, looking over at me. "Very happy."

The large man smiles at me. "We have Roman to thank for that."

"I was happy before we started dating." I tell him.

"Yes, but not as happy as you are now, darlin'." My dad says. "Roman's a good guy and he treats you good. Even if that means giving you a kiss every now and then at the dinner table."

My face grows warm as he says that and I hide my face in my hands, hearing him chuckle. "Don't worry, it's okay. He's not afraid to show that you're his girlfriend and that he loves you and that can be a good thing."

"Yeah." I softly say. "Roman asked me to move in with him."

"To move in with him?" Dad asks.

I nod. "Yes. His lease is going to be up soon, and so he's looking for a new apartment and yesterday, he asked me to move in with him."

"What'd you tell him?" He asks.

"I told him, yes." I said. "My lease is about to be up soon, as well."

Dad nods. "You sure you're ready to live with him?"

"Yes, I'm sure. It's like he's the other half of me and you know I've never said that about any guy." I tell him. "Like, ever."

"I know, that's why I'm taking it seriously, darlin'." He tells me. "You've never been this serious about a guy and this sure about anyone. I think I knew it from the moment I met him, that he's going to be a great guy and a really great one for you. But that doesn't mean that I can't still be protective of you. You're still my daughter and you always will be."

I give him a big smile. "I love you, daddy."

"I love you, too, darlin'." He says with a smile of his own and kisses my head.

We hear someone and when we look back, it was Roman walking towards us. "Am I interrupting?"

"No, it's okay." I say to him, as I see him with a black shirt and blue jeans with sneakers and his hair pulled back into a bun.

"Is it okay if I talk to Roman for a bit, about something?" My dad asks.

I look at them curiously before giving them a pout. "Okay, I'll be inside with Michelle and Kaia."

They both smile at me before Roman helps me up and gives me a kiss on the lips. before sitting down next to my dad. As I got to the door that lead back to the inside of the house, I heard them beginning to talk. Because they were speaking as low as they were, I wasn't able to make out what was being said.

 **A/N: What did you think of Roman finally asking Cassandra to move in with him? What about her saying 'yes'? What did you think about her dad noticing how happy she is? What do you think Cassandra's dad wanted to talk to Roman about?**


	20. Chapter 20

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed on the previous chapter and who have put this chapter on their favorites and alerts!**

 ***Roman's POV***

Walking back to my car after coming out of the gym with Dean, I texted Cassandra saying that I was on my way home when I was about to pull out of the parking and drive off. It had been almost three weeks since we had found an apartment for the the two of us and signed a lease. We have slowly been moving in some furniture, starting with the bedroom and the television set up in the living room.

On my way to our apartment, I stopped by a flower shop and get some roses. It was a small store, but it was where I had gotten the roses for Cassandra, the first time that I had bought her flowers. There was a young woman there with blonde hair that was putting some flowers away before turning around and seeing me walking towards her.

"Hello, how can I help you?" She asks with warm brown eyes.

"Hello, do you have any red roses?" I ask.

She gives me a smile and nods. "Yes, we do. They just came in today, so they're extra fresh. How much would you like?"

"I'll take half a dozen, please." I say. Digging into my pocket, I take out my wallet to get some money to pay.

When she gives me the roses, I take it in one hand while giving her the money with the other. "Who's the lucky lady?"

"My girlfriend." I reply with a big smile. "More, someday. Hopefully."

After a few moments, I give her a smile and thank her before putting my wallet away and leaving. Thinking about Cassandra on my way to the car, I smile to myself knowing that I was going home to the woman who's brightened up my life. The woman I would love to spend the rest of my life with.

"I'm home." I said when I walked in through the door, about ten minutes later. There's a small closet by the door when I walk in and a small black bench with beige cushion nearby. I take off my shoes and put them underneath next to Cassandra's sandles and feel the beige cushion that was underneath my feet when I started walking into the living room and seeing the chairs that we were using in there until we were able to get some furniture for the living room.

"Roman." I hear someone say.

Looking over, I see Cassandra in shorts and wearing one of my shirts with her hair up in a bun. She had the sweetest smile on her face as she quickly jumps into my arms after I put my bag down. Chuckling as she giggles, I take her lips with mine for a kiss that lasts well after I put her back down.

"You're home." She says, with a smile still on her face and the most beautiful green eyes after I reluctantly pull away.

"It feels good, to be home." I say, giving her another kiss as I keep her in my arms. "God, don't you ever lose that smile." I tell her, stroking her cheek while my other arm that had the flowers, stayed wrapped around her waist. "It's beautiful."

Her cheeks turn pink and she hides her face in my chest, making me smile. After a few more kisses, we pull away and I show her the roses. There was a sparkle in her eyes when she saw them followed by a big grin.

"They're beautiful." Cassandra says with a smile still pulling at her lips. "Thank you, baby."

"I just wanted to get you some flowers." I tell her. "You deserve them."

Her cheeks turn pink again before we share another kiss and she goes to the kitchen to put them in water. I go to our bedroom to put my bag down and I take in the scent of Cassandra's perfume. I could get used to this very quickly as I look around to see the beige carpets, with mahogany drawers and a bed frame with a King sized bed with the bed posts that reach up. There's a small bench at the front of the bed, and a closet that quickly filled up with our clothes. Feeling a pair of hands softly rest on my sides, I turn around and see that it was my girlfriend before she gently kisses my shoulder, seeing that I was in just a wife beater and sweats. I take her in my arms and touch her nose with mine.

"You're still a bit sweaty." She says, as I feel her hands underneath my shirt.

"I can get you a bit sweaty, too if you'd like." I say with a wicked smile.

She flashes me another smile and I take her hand in mine and walk into the bathroom, where we take a shower together and take our time making love. When we finally managed to get out of the shower, we made love again before finally getting dressed to go get some things for the kitchen and some food. When we got to Walmart, we grabbed a shopping cart and Cassandra put her purse in the small part where you can sit a small child. I rest my hand on the small of her back as we make our way to the side where the food starts.

"We could use some bread." She says as we get to them. "Maybe you could have a sandwich for lunch or snack or something."

"That's good. Or breakfast if we want toast." I add.

Checking them put, we pick one before going to where they had the fruits and vegetables. Cassandra picked out a salad while I got some apples and we put them in the cart before getting some potatoes and carrots. As soon as we get to where the meats were, I hug her from behind and look over her shoulders as she picks up a package that held pork chops. I feel her lean into me and I rest my chin on her shoulder, and whispered sweet words in her ear as she picked out two packages of pork chops.

"Well, look at the two lovebirds." Said someone from a distance. Looking up, I groan seeing Megan and the guy that I've seen with her a few times.

I hear Cassandra whimper quietly as she snuggles closer to me. Looking down, I see some of her hair covering her eyes as she looks over at Megan. I wrap an arm around her waist to keep her close and I brush my nose against her hair, taking in the scent of her hair.

"Can we help you with something?" I ask. After weeks of not seeing her and not having her around to bother us, I was relieved until now.

"Just thought I'd stop by and say 'Hi'." She says, "It's been a while since we've last seen each other, and so I thought I should pass by when I noticed the two of you here."

An awkward feeling filled the air, until Cassandra spoke. "Okay, so now that you've said 'hi', you can go back to shopping, you know. You don't have to keep talking to us."

"I can see how happy you are." Megan says.

"More than happy." I simply tell her. "Are we done here?"

Before anyone could respond, I grabbed the cart and walked away. Slowing down a bit to look at a few things, I felt a pair of hands rest on my arms. I turn around to see Cassandra's beautiful green eyes, looking up at me with a gentleness in them that I've seen plenty of times before. I cup her face and take in everything about her. The way her eyes looked up at me. The way her lips formed into that amazing smile of hers and how they felt against mine.

"I'm sorry." I whispered. "I just didn't want to hear anything she had to say."

"I understand." Cassandra says. "But, like my mom once said, don't let them see you sweat. Kill them with kindness?"

I smile softly. "I love you."

"I love you, too." She tells me before we share a kiss.

 ** _Later that night..._**

"You okay?" Asked Cassandra when she walked into the room as I laid in bed in just basketball shorts with my eyes closed and my hair out of its usual bun.

"Yeah, I'm good. I think I'm still stuffed though from dinner." I said, feeling her straddle me.

When I open my eyes, my eyes go directly to what she was wearing. Cassandra was wearing matching black, lace bra and panties and nothing else as her hair flowed down her back. It's an amazing sight, as I take in every curve and inch of her body with my eyes.

"What are you going to do tomorrow?" I ask her, attempting to keep my eyes on her, but to no avail.

"Well, the furniture for the living room is supposed to come in tomorrow morning, so I have that which you'll still be here for, so you can help out as well." She says as she sits up, and tracing my stomach with her fingers. "After that, I'll probably go spend some time with my mom since she has the day off tomorrow."

I feel her lips on my neck as I rest my hands her thighs as my mind went blank and my erection was evident as it slightly rested against her thigh as it pushed against my shorts. "The things you do to me."

"I'm not doing anything." Cassandra says with an innocent smile on her face when she pulls away.

I chuckled and gave her a kiss before we spent the night having passionate love making and lasted well into the morning hours. We reached our climax numerous times before we weren't able to physically go any further. Cassandra laid in my arms with her head on my chest and her hand gently resting on my side after we were done. I made sure she was covered by the blankets as it covered me as well from the waist down with part of one my legs sticking out from under the sheets. I watched as she peacefully slept with her wrapped up in my arms and I couldn't help but smile at the love of my life. The woman who has me so wrapped up around her finger, and who has made my life better and brighter since entering it and I wasn't going to let her go. Even though I sometimes still had my fears that she would find someone better than me, I'm going to prove that I want to be the only one for her. That I love her and that she has my heart.

"I love you, Cassandra." I whispered softly before kissing her head and lightly tracing her skin with my fingertips.

Wrapping my arms around her again, I held her tightly and as close to me as I could. I watched her sleep a bit longer before I fell asleep, shortly after with the warmth of her skin against mine.

 ** _*_ Cassandra's POV* **

"Thank you." I told the delivery guys as they helped with setting up the furniture in my living room.

It was a set and even though it wasn't as big as the one in my dad's house, it was still big enough for me and Roman. It was black and suede and extremely comfortable as it had a recliner on one end and an extended piece on the other with a foot rest that we could put with whatever other spot. After Roman and I had signed what we needed to sign, we waited until they left and cleaned up a bit.

"So you're going to meet up with my dad and Dean for lunch?" I asked Roman as I walked into his arms.

"Yeah, I think it'll go good though." He says, giving me a kiss and holding me tightly.

I take in his scent and melt in his arms. "My dad likes you."

"I don't know about like, but I'm getting there." Roman says as he sits on the bed and keeps me in his arms.

"You're so cute." I tell him, grabbing his face in mine and kissing it.

He chuckles before we finish getting ready. He holds my purse and my hand as we go to our cars and he opens my door for me when I unlock my car. I get in and I leave my door open, taking a look at him as he's dressed in jeans with a grey shirt and his hair in a neat bun. He had shaven this morning and his cologne was my favorite from him while I dressed in a blue sundress with my hair in a french braid.

"Have a good day, today." I tell him, pulling him close to me.

"I will and you have a good day with your mom and the girls." He tells me.

I nod before we share a kiss. "I love you, baby."

"I love you, too, beautiful." Roman tells me before giving me another kiss.

Closing my door, I see him go to his car and get in while I turn mine on. We both pull out from our parking spots and go to where we needed to go. When I get to the mall, I see my mom there with my sisters, Gracie and Chasey with Kaitlyn and Samantha there as well. I greet them all and we make our way inside from the parking lot, as I hook my arm with my mom's.

"What are you thinking about?" She asks me as we make our way inside.

"Nothing, I'm fine." I tell her, looking around to see what stores catch my attention.

She gives me a look before looking to make sure the girls are with us and not getting caught in the crowds. My mom knows me very well, so I'm not surprised that she's able to pick up on me having something on my mind.

"I was looking at my calendar, this morning while Roman was with the delivery guys this morning." I tell her.

"And what happened?" She asks. "Is everything okay?"

"It's almost time for me to take out my birth control." I tell her quietly. "It only lasts for three years, but it can be taken out before then if the person chooses, too."

We walked into a clothing store to see what they had and if we could buy something for ourselves.

"Have you told him, yet?" My mom asked.

"No. We got so busy with getting it all set up before the delivery guys left, and then he's supposed to meet up with Dean and dad today and I didn't want to preoccupy his mind with my birth control if he's going to be around daddy." I tell her. "But I will tell him. Roman should know."

She smiles and takes my face with her hands. "You want to be a mom, don't you?"

"Yes, very much." I reply, barely above a whisper. "But I want to wait a bit longer before I do."

"Talk to him about it, okay?" She asks. "Roman should know. You're so in love, by the way."

I laugh and give her a big smile. "Is it obvious?"

"Absolutely." Mom tells me with a smile of her own. "You're the happiest I've ever seen you."

"I'm really happy, mom." I tell her softly. "And he's so good with kids and I don't know if I mentioned it, but when we went to Florida, we talked about it and we both want kids and marriage. I just don't know if it's the right time. We just moved in together. It's been going great so far, with that."

"Sweetie, one step at a time." She tells me as she grabs my hands. "Talk to him first about the birth control."

Later that day, I got home to the aroma of food filling my nostrils. I make my to the kitchen where I see Roman hard at work on dinner. A cream color fills the walls as a dining table set for at least five people. There are granite counters with stainless steel stove and oven as well as a stainless steel refrigerator. Mahogany cabinets are filled with plates and cups that we plan on using for special occasions as well as a spot where we kept plates, cups and utensils for everyday use.

"Hey, baby." I said, walking up to him.

"Hey, my love." Roman replied facing me with a smile on his face.

I couldn't help but smile and giggle when I see some flour on the tip of his nose. I wiped it off and we share a kiss before he wrapped one of his arms around me.

"What are you making?" I ask, resting my hand on his chest. "It smells good in here."

"Pork chops with mashed potatoes and rice with beans." He replies, kissing my head. "And I tried to make some biscuits, too. They're done, if you want to try one."

I smile up at him as my lips brush against his jaw. "We could try them together. See, you're learning how to make them."

"I have an amazing teacher." Roman says, giving me a kiss after he turns off the stove.

"How was your day?" I asked, after pulling away, but staying in his arms until we reluctantly pulled away, to set the table.

"It was good. We just talked about football and wrestling and stuff like that and he showed us where he gets his bike fixed and checked out and it was pretty cool." He tells me before putting food on our plates. "How was your day?"

I smiled and watched as he put our dinner on the table. "It was good. We did some shopping and we got our nails done, and our feet."

"I missed you." Roman tells me, looking into my eyes.

"I missed you, too." I say, feeling butterflies invade my stomach at the way he said it and for the simple fact that he did.

We share a kiss before sitting down next to each other to eat dinner. Having small talk, I knew that I wanted to ease into the topic of my birth control and I knew it was something that had to be talked about, at some point. Our first conversation, about making sure I was on birth control, went pretty good so I was hoping it went just as good this time around.

"I want to talk to you about something." I tell him, as I take a bite of my mashed potatoes.

"About what?" He asks, looking up at me.

I look up at him and see the curiosity in his eyes. "Remember when I told you that I'm on birth control?"

"Yeah, I can see it sometimes in your arm." He says. "What happened?"

"I was checking the calendar and I saw that it's almost time for me to take it out." I tell him. "It'll be three years in about a month. So I'm going to have to make an appointment to get it out."

He looked up at me as he ate some of his rice. "So what will happen when you take it out?"

"I'll be able to get pregnant because the birth control won't be in to keep me from getting pregnant." I tell him. "Unless we use protection every single time."

"You don't want to put another one back in?" Roman asks as he drinks some of his soda.

I nervously looked at him as I already know the answer to that. "No. I mean, what do you think? Do you want me to get on it again?"

"What were you thinking of using other than condoms?" He asks. "I'm not against you not putting it back in if you don't want to."

"I just want us to be on the same page when it comes to this." I softly say.

Roman reaches for my hand and holds it. "I know, baby. I want to be on the same page, too. What do your want to do for birth control if you don't put it back?"

"I was thinking about the pill." I tell him, playing a bit with my food. "I don't know."

"Cassandra, I'm not against you not wanting to put it back in." Roman says. "I'm not going to force you to do that. If you want to use the pill, then you do that."

"You're not mad?" I ask him.

He looks at me curiously. "Why would I be mad?"

"Because I don't want to use the implant anymore." I tell him, looking down.

"Baby, hey." He softly says, slipping his fingers under my chin and getting me to look up at him. "I'm not mad. I'm glad you told me."

"You sure?" I ask him.

Roman gives me that smile of his I love so much. "I'm sure, baby. I'll support you if you choose not to put another implant in after you take this one out."

We share a kiss and I felt like a weight was taken off my shoulders. I wondered how he would react about me not wanting to continue with the birth control that I have now, so to know that he's supportive of me in what I choose to do with that, brings me some relief. After dinner, we cleaned up a bit before taking a shower and went back to the living room. I curled up beside Roman and laid my head on his bare chest as his arms made their way around me as I wore one of his shirts. His arms felt like home and I didn't want to be anywhere else. This is the man I know I want to spend the rest of my life with. Nobody else.

 **A/N: What do you think about Cassandra and Roman finally moving in together? What about their conversation about birth control? Why do you think Roman still has a fear that Cassandra will find somebody better than him? Was seeing Megan again, what triggered the memories of the emotional damage that she caused him?**


	21. Chapter 21

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far and to those who have put this story on their favorites and alerts list!**

 ** _Four months later..._**

 ***Cassandra's POV***

It's been almost four months since I had talked to Roman about my birth control. Since then, I have had it removed and I decided to not put in another one. Instead, I decided to go on the pill. Roman and I had been using protection so far when it has come to that, and we've been doing good on that.

School started back up as well a few months ago, and Roman and the team had started off the season with an undefeated streak. There has been new found faith with the team and the amount of people that have been going to the games lately, have doubled from last year. There's hope that the team could make to a championship game this year, and I have to say that I'm proud of Roman and what he's accomplished, not just with the team, but in general. Even though they have had two loses so far, they've managed to keep an amazing record for this season which is a hell of a lot better than what we can say for last year.

"So you and my dad have been hanging out quite a bit lately." I say as I curl up in Roman's arms on the couch.

"Yeah, we've been getting along pretty good." He says as he starts playing with my hair.

I trace the tattoo on his chest, thinking about how he spends a lot of time with him lately. Roman's even been talking a bit more to my mom and my brother. Maybe I'm just thinking too much into the whole thing. It could simply be that he's just getting closer to them and getting more comfortable which is good because I want them to get along with each other. This is the man I love and I want them to be on good terms.

"You want to do something together, tomorrow since you don't have a game until next week?" I ask.

"I'm going to do something with Dean." Roman replies, quickly.

I pick my head up and look at him. "Roman, it's been three weeks since you and I have done anything together outside of work and being here. You've been so busy with practice and your games and whatnot. I just want to spend some time with you and tomorrow is Christmas Eve."

"We could do something now, if you'd like." He says.

"It's almost midnight, what the hell are going to do at this time?" I ask.

He grabs my hands in his. "Don't worry. I promise we'll get to do something together."

"Yeah, well I'm going to bed." I say, getting up, leaving him with the remote.

"Sweetheart, wait." Roman says. "We'll do something tomorrow night, just you and me."

I look over at him. "Uh-huh. Night."

About 15 minutes later, I heard the television go off. A few minutes after that, the lights in our room turned off and I felt his side of the bed sink before his arm wrapped around my waist. His chest pressed against my back and he nuzzled my neck after pulling the covers up a little more for me.

"I'm sorry." Roman softly said, barely above a whisper, as he thought I was sleeping. "I love you."

My heart melted with the passion that filled his voice when he said those three words. I remembered the fear that he had about going through heartache again and I wanted him to know that I wouldn't ever bring him that. Feeling his breathing calm, and the rise and fall of his chest go steady, I knew he was about to fall asleep if he wasn't already sleeping.

The next day, I wake up feeling soft kisses on my face and my shoulder. Opening my eyes, I see a pair of blue/grey eyes look into mine as I realize that it's Roman wearing a black wife beater and basketball shorts, while standing by my side of the bed. His hair was out and still a bit of a mess as he softly smiles at me. He kisses my forehead as his hand gently rested on my waist.

"Good morning." Roman says, with a smile.

"Good morning." I say, with a smile on my face.

We share a kiss before he touches my nose with his. "I made us some breakfast."

"Yeah?" I softly asked.

"Yeah, I thought we could have some breakfast together." He says, with a look in his eyes that gave me butterflies.

I get out of bed, and get ready for breakfast as he makes the bed. Afterwards, he holds me hand as we make our way to the kitchen where I see that the table is already set and the food was already on there. It was pancakes with scrambled eggs, bacon and biscuits with orange juice. Taking in the aroma of the food, I look over at me and pull him to me.

"Thank you." I say, resting my hands on his sides.

He holds me tightly in his arms as he gives me a kiss that leaves me weak in the knees. We pull away and we share a smile before sitting down for breakfast. As I take a bite out of my pancakes, I close my eyes as I savor the taste of the of each bite that I take.

"What are you going to do today?" Roman asks.

"Well, I thought that since you're going to go be with Dean today, I could hang out with my dad." I tell him.

"Oh, anything specific in mind with him today?" He asks.

I look over at him in curiosity as he ate his food. "I don't know, maybe we'll just drive around and who knows? Maybe I'll get to go on his bike with him. I miss riding around with him on his bike. What are you going to do with Dean?"

"Just a guy's day out." He said. "But I'm dedicating my night to you. Just you and me, all night on Christmas Eve."

"What will we do?" I ask.

He drinks some of his juice. "Things."

"I want to know." I say, trying to give him my best pout.

He chuckles and gives me a kiss before we finish eating. I take a shower after Roman offered to clean everything up. When I came out, he was in the room and he welcomes me with soft kisses as he takes me into his arms. I feel a big smile in my face and see him mirror it. We share one more kiss before he goes to take a shower.

The truth was that I wanted to spend the day with him. Yes, I did miss my dad and wanted to spend time with him, but I also wanted to spend time with my boyfriend. Time outside of work and without having to think about that and practice and without thinking about the next game. I feel like we haven't really gotten any time to really spend together outside of the time we get every night at home. Maybe I was just thinking too much about and was overreacting about it. But it didn't make me feel any better about it.

Once he was out of the shower, we shared a few more kisses before getting ready to leave. When we did, he walked me to my car and opened the door for me and handed me my purse when I got in. Roman leaned in and gave me a kiss and hooked his fingers around mine.

"You can't come with me, today?" I softly ask him.

"I promised Dean, I'd hang out with him." I said.

I just looked away from him and looked down at our hands. "Okay."

"Baby, please don't be mad at me." I hear him say.

"Roman, I'm not mad. I just wanted to spend some time with you." I tell him. "It's fine, though. Just go hang out with Dean. I'll see you later."

"Cassandra." I hear him, say. "Please."

Hearing the pleading in his voice, I couldn't help but look up at him. "Roman, sweetie, go hang out with Dean. I'll see you later."

Knowing that he wasn't going to get me to hear anything else and continue this conversation, he let out a soft sigh and sadly pulled away. Seeing him walk away, something in me just told me to get his attention before he left. So I quickly got out of the car and gently grabbed his hand before he got to his.

"Hey." I softly said. "I just wanted to say I love you."

"I love you, too." Roman replies with a light in his eyes, taking me in his arms and holding me tightly as if he didn't want to let me go.

I kissed his cheek and let him go to his car while I went to mine. Something was off with him in a way and I couldn't put my finger on it. I was hoping that maybe I was just thinking things that weren't really there, but I couldn't shake this feeling off and I didn't know why. When I got to my dad's house, I ring the doorbell and see the decorations that they had put outside the house, from the Christmas lights, to a Santa Clause with his reindeer. I feel a grin on my face when I see who opened the door.

"Daddy!" I exclaimed as I fly into his arms. I hear him chuckle deeply and softly as his arms wrap around me for a hug.

"My princess." He says deeply as he kisses my head. I shake my head and hold on to him tighter when I feel him about to let go. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." I say, digging my face into his chest. "I just missed you, is all."

He kissed my head again and rested his cheek on top of my head. "I missed you, too darlin'."

I let him close the door and followed him to the kitchen, where he got me some water and sat with me around the island. I smelled the scent of cookies and cinnamon as we did and smiled, noticing the Christmas lights around the house as well as the huge tree in the living room with a lot of presents under it for tomorrow.

"It's quiet in here." I say, taking a sip of my water.

"Because Kaia's not running around." He replies, softly laughing.

I give him a smile. "Where is she, by the way? And Michelle?"

"They both went out to spend some time with Michelle's dad." He tells me. "I'll go out with them later for dinner. I want to spend some time with one of my little girls, today."

"I'm not little anymore, daddy." I say, giggling.

"But you'll always be my little girl." He says.

I give him another grin and lean over to kiss his cheek. "I love you, daddy."

"I love you, too darlin'." My dad says, giving me a smile. "Want to drive around on the bike, today for a bit? Maybe later?"

"Yes!" I say, happily. "I miss riding around on the bike. Can we go driving around again in your truck? And we can go to lunch and...yeah."

My dad lets out a deep chuckle, bringing back some good memories. After another 30 minutes of talking, we went out to his truck and we first make a stop at the gas station to fill the tank up. When we go back out on the road, I looked out the window before checking my phone and thinking about Roman.

"Are you going to tell me what's really wrong?" I hear my dad ask, taking me out of my thoughts.

"Nothing's wrong." I say, looking over at him as he drives.

He looks over at me when he stops at a light. "Cassandra, I know you well enough to know when something's bothering you."

I play with my hands as I look out the window again when he starts driving. Thinking it would sound silly, I hesitated to say anything. I didn't want to seem childish.

"I just want more attention." I say softly, as I look down.

"From who?" He asks.

"Roman." I whisper. "I just wanted to spend some time with him since he didn't have any games, and instead he went to hang out with Dean. And it's almost Christmas, daddy. This is the first Christmas that him and I will have together as a couple and it means a lot to me."

"There's nothing wrong with wanting his attention, you know." My dad says.

I feel a lump in my throat, and I tried to swallow it and not look at my dad. "I don't want to come off as clingy."

"It's not coming off as clingy, darlin'." My dad says. "He's not your ex."

"I know." I tell him. "I just want to spend time with him."

"Cass, don't feel bad for wanting that. It's normal." My dad softly tells me.

I shrug and pull my burgundy sweater a little closer to my body. "Maybe with it being Christmas break, we'll have so me time together."

A few moments passed by and we made our way through a small road that was lined with small houses on each side. My dad turned on the radio and our favorite song was on, and he started singing along to it. I smile and take out my phone to record him before he started to laugh halfway through it.

"You're doing good, daddy. Keep going." I say, giggling.

"It's your turn, now." He says with a smile.

I take a picture of him and he makes a silly face at the last minute, making me laugh. I start singing along with what was left of the song, before he joins in.

 ***Roman's POV***

I got out of the shower and put on my best pair of pants, shoes and shirt and see my freshly shaven face and my shape up I had gotten earlier in the day. I slicked my hair back into a neat ponytail and put on some cologne before putting on my watch. I look at the time and put my wallet in my pocket and grab my phone before checking everything and leaving. Before I walk out the door, I look around the apartment and smile seeing the small Christmas tree that Cassandra and I had put up shortly after Thanksgiving with presents under the tree. My family had just left to go back to Florida after Thanksgiving, but not without helping out with some of the decorations around the apartment. I feel a sense of pride knowing that it was all done with love and happiness. Something I wanted with Cassandra for the rest of my life. The reason for why I've been talking to her dad so much for the last two months. Something that her and I have discussed in more detail a few times in recent months.

On my way there, I bought some flowers and made my way to where Cassandra would be at. Her dad's. Parking my car in the driveway, I saw her car parked there next to her dad's truck. I took a deep breath and I felt my phone vibrate when I was just about to grab the flowers. I look at the screen to see that it was Dean calling and so I answered it.

"Hello?" I said when I answered.

"We got it ready for you." Dean says.

I smile softly and close my eyes as I lean my head back. "Thank you. I appreciate the help."

"No problem. I know how important this is to you." He tells me.

"Yeah, it is. I know she's been wondering why I've been wanting to hang out with you so much lately." I reply.

I hear him chuckle and I smile. "Hopefully I didn't cause too much trouble, though I've been wondering if she would ever give me an earful about that."

"I'm sure she's probably wanted to, but I'm surprised she hasn't done it yet." I say.

"Unless she's just wanting to catch me off guard, which now realizing that, I should be prepared for that." Dean says.

I laugh and shake my head. "Let me go, I texted her earlier saying I would be at her dad's place soon and that I was going to take her out tonight."

"Alright man, good luck." He says.

"Thanks and thank you again for everything." I tell him.

"No problem." Dean tells me. "You're my brother and I got your back like I always have since we met."

"And I got yours." I say.

After a few moments, I take another deep breath and step out of the car after grabbing the flowers. I make sure my shirts straightened out as I make my way to the front door and I ring the doorbell. A large man opened the door and I quickly noticed that it was her dad. For some reason I felt nervous all over again as if I was going to take her out on our first date.

"Come in." He says, stepping aside. "She's been getting ready all evening, and looking forward to it, though she doesn't know what you have planned."

"I've been with Dean all day, working on it, but she thinks that we've just been hanging out." I tell him. "I wanted to make it special."

He closes the door behind me and walks beside me as we slowly make our way to the living room, where I hear the television and people talking.

"I've been trying to keep her thoughts elsewhere because I didn't want to ruin anything and I don't know what you've told her about it." The large man says as he's dressed in a white t-shirt with a black design on it, jeans, and black boots. "Look who's here, everyone."

"Hi, Roman!" Says a tiny voice as I see a little girl running up to me.

I pick her up and spin her around, hearing her laugh. "How's Ms. Kaia doing? Excited for tomorrow?"

"I'm good and I'm going to put cookies for Santa." She says with her pigtails as she's dressed in a pink shirt and jeans.

"You're going to put cookies for him?" I ask.

"Yes, so he won't be hungry." Kaia says, causing me to chuckle as I put her down to greet her mom and another man that was there who I learned was her dad as Mr. Calaway went upstairs.

When he came back down, he stood beside me, and I have to say, even though we've had this conversation a few times, it's still a bit nerve wracking.

"She's upstairs." He tells me. "She'll be down in a moment."

"That looks pretty." Says Kaia as she looks up at the flowers. "Who are those for?"

"It's for Cassandra." I tell her.

"Roman?" I hear someone say from behind.

Looking back, my world froze as I saw the beauty standing in front of me. Cassandra stood there in a sleeveless, burgundy dress that reached her feet and hugged her every curve. It had a slit on the side, showing one of her long legs, with white heels. Her long hair, cascading down her back in soft waves as her hand held a small purse. Her wrist had a bracelet that I had given her months ago and diamond studs in her ears. Hearing someone clear their throat, I looked around to see her dad looking at me. Clearing my own throat, I walked up to her and caught her in my arms when she walked right into them.

"You look absolutely beautiful." I whisper in her ear before I kiss her cheek.

"Thank you." Cassandra says shyly, as she takes the flowers that I give her while her cheeks turn pink.

My fingers lightly run across her jaw as I look deeply into her eyes, while my free arm wraps around her. I wanted to feel her body against mine and I desperately wanted to feel her lips against my own. But looking into her eyes, I found my forever in her.

"Okay, you two. We don't want you to be late." Michelle says, as she walks towards us. "We're going to go out to dinner as well, so if anything, just let us know. We're a phone call and text away."

"Where are we going?" Cassandra asks, looking up at me.

"It's a surprise, honey." I tell her and I can't help but smile when she gives me the most adorable pout.

Michelle took the flowers from her and went to the kitchen to put them in some water before coming back out. When she did, I took Cassandra's hand in mine and we made our way to the door. Looking back, Mr. Calaway gives me a nod and a knowing look before I do the same. We walk out the house and make our way to the driveway and to my car. I open the door for her and see her turn around to face me before getting in.

"You look very handsome, tonight." She tells me, placing a hand on the side of my face. I wore a dark grey button down shirt with black slacks and black dress shoes.

"Thank you. Did I mention that you look beautiful tonight?" I ask, hearing her giggle.

I give her a light kiss before helping her get in the car. Closing the door behind her, I get in on the drivers side and turn it on, hearing the engine purr before it quiets down. I get a sudden feeling of nervousness as I back out of the driveway and drive off in the direction of the exit of the gated community. If it all goes well, this could be the start of what would be the rest of my life. Of _our_ lives.

 **A/N: With Christmas coming up, how do you think they will spend their Christmas? What do you think Roman has up his sleeve for Cassandra? Could it be why he was spending his day with Dean instead? How do you think it'll go?  
**


	22. Chapter 22

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed on the previous chapter and to those who put this story on their favorites and alerts list!**

 ***Roman's POV***

Parking outside of the restaurant, I turn the car off and take off my seatbelt as Cassandra does the same. I look over at her and smile, seeing her eyes meet mine. I lean over and meet her lips with mine for a kiss. She gives me that sweet smile of hers and I can't help but smile back at her. Getting out of the car, I quickly make my way over to her and help her out, before closing the door behind her and locking it. We hold hands and intertwine our fingers as we make our way to the restaurant. It was small, but it helped with some privacy and it was cozy and I thought that it could be better suited for something romantic. It was also where Dean had some special connections with the manager and the owner of the restaurant.

We make our way inside and I hear her softly gasp beside me as she sees the inside. It was filled with balloons and candles, along with flowers and dim lighting that all helped set the mood for the night. The waitress came and sat us down at a booth and I couldn't help but notice the lingering looks of a few guys as Cassandra walked passed them. I know I have a beautiful woman by my side, but I intend to keep her.

"Can we start you off with anything to drink?" The waitress asked.

Cassandra and I looked at each other and I knew what we both wanted. "Can we have red wine, please?"

"Sure. I'll bring that up for you." She says with a smile as she leaves to get our wine.

"This is beautiful." Cassandra tells me as I take her hands in mine. "This is a nice way to start off our night."

I smile and I kiss her hands that fit perfectly in mine. "I wanted to make tonight perfect. And to make up for the last three weeks that we haven't been able to really spend that much time together. And for today."

"Just you and me tonight?" She asks

"Just you and me, baby." I tell her.

There was a sparkle in her eyes and I felt weak with the smile that followed. We turned our attention to the menus, though I couldn't help myself from stealing glances at her. Cassandra sure is beautiful and I find myself to be one lucky guy. When the waitress came with our wine, she placed it on the table inside of bucket filled with ice as well as two glasses of wine. She then asked for our orders and left with our menus. I filled up both of our glasses and we both took a sip. When she sat a little closer, I took in the scent of her perfume and kissed her cheek. I wrapped an arm around her and felt her sit closer. Seeing the slit in her dress when she crossed her legs, I tried to keep my thoughts at bay, though it was hard enough as it is without seeing it.

"You're tense." She says softly. "Relax."

"I am relaxed." I tell her, looking into her beautiful green eyes, getting lost in them.

The last few days, something as simple as the way she looked at me, made me weak. It made my heart beat a little faster, and my hands sweat a bit, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Cassandra was the first woman to ever make me feel like that and much more. The way she had perfectly fit in my arms, even at night when I would hold her in my arms as she peacefully slept.

"What do you want for Christmas, tomorrow?" I ask her.

"I don't really want anything." She says. "Just as long as I get to spend time with you and family and friends. I'll be fine."

I touch her nose with mine. "I want to give you everything you want."

"It's okay. I'm fine with what I have right now." Cassandra says with the sweetest smile on her face.

We share a kiss as the waitress brings us our food. Thanking her, we let her know that we're okay when she asks if we need anything else. Cassandra ordered the steak with mashed potatoes and Alfredo while I ordered chicken with rice and beans.

"What are we doing tomorrow?" I ask as we eat our food and occasionally drink some wine.

"I know we'll be having dinner with my dad, Michelle and Kaia." Cassandra says. "But I want to see my mom, too. It always sucked after my parents divorced. I never wanted to choose which one I wanted to spend time with because I wanted both of at the same time. Especially during the holidays. I always told myself that I never wanted to go through another divorce. Especially if kids are involved. It's not fair. I don't want them to have to wonder who they're going to spend Christmas with. I don't my kids to ever have to go back and forth from house to house."

Looking up at her, I see the sadness in her eyes as she remembered the memories of a childhood with parents who divorced when she was still young. I don't want her to go through that heartache again.

"You want a house full of love." I say as I take a bite out of my food.

"And happiness." She says. "Don't get me wrong, my parents always made sure to let us know that they loved us and they always made sure that we were all happy and that we had everything we needed and wanted. They tried and I love that about them. Luckily, they still get along."

I smiled seeing a light in her eyes. I lean over and give her a kiss, feeling it deepen before slowly pulling away. As we continued eating, I would occasionally lean over and whisper a few sweet words in her ear. Her cheeks would occasionally turn pink and she would playfully hit my arm. After we finished, we drank some more wine and talked about anything and everything before I gently took her hand in mine and intertwined our fingers together. The waitress came back to get our plates and to ask if we wanted any desert. Cassandra and I looked at each other and agreed on some pie that we could share.

"Thank you for tonight." She says, playing with my fingers. "I'm having a good time and it's romantic."

"I wanted to do something nice tonight." I tell her, kissing her head. "I love seeing that smile on your face."

Cassandra gives me a big grin and I chuckle, giving her a kiss. The waitress brings us our pie and two forks, before leaving again.

"Aww, this is so cute!" Cassandra exclaims, seeing that the small plate was filled with a few rose petals that surrounded the pie before the waitress comes back with a balloon for her.

I start getting nervous as I reach for my pocket and feel the small box that's still there a she ties the string to something to keep it in place. I feel my heart beating in my throat as I think about it.

"I was thinking..." I start out saying. "How much my life has changed since I met you."

"I haven't done anything extraordinary." Cassandra says as she looks over at me.

I look at the pie and eat a piece. "Since I met you, I managed to get a job, get my own place and get back in contact with my parents and my family back in Florida. Most importantly, I have you. And I thank God everyday for you."

"Yeah?" She softly asks.

"Everyday." I tell her. "Dean has been an amazing friend and an amazing brother to me, helping me out in my hard times and I thank him every chance I get because I want him to know that I'm grateful for the help that he's given me. But you?"

She shyly looks down and I cup her chin to get her to look up at me. "You taught me that it's okay to love again. You love all of me, Cassandra. Scars and fears and brokenhearted and all. When you found out that I was homeless, you didn't turn away or see me any differently. You stayed by my side and kept supporting me. I'm madly in love with you and I want you in my life, for the rest of my life."

"For the rest of your life?" She asks as tears seem to form in her eyes.

"I want to give you the world, Cassandra." I say. "I want to wake up to you, everyday with you in my arms an go to sleep with you in them. I want to come home to you and see that smile of yours and those beautiful green eyes, that I both love so much. I want to make a life with you, Cassandra. A life with kids of our own and a house filled with love and happiness. To grow old with you have a lifetime of memories. All with _you."_

I stand up and dig in my pocket, pulling out a small blue velvet box and see her cover her face. Getting down on one knee, opening the box and showing her a 1.90ct Neil Lane princess cut engagement ring, with a band covered in white gold and a princess cut diamond, right in the middle as it sat surrounded by more white gold.

"Cassandra Faith Calaway...will you marry me?" I ask, not being able to hear much else, I could hear my heart pounding in my ears as she looked on with tears in her eyes.

Tears roll down her face as she looks on before a smile appears. "Yes! I'd love to marry you!"

"Yes?" I repeat, seeing her hands reach out for my face.

"Yes, yes, yes!" She says with a big smile on her face.

A huge wave of relief came over me as I hear everyone around us clapping and cheering. My hands shake a bit as I take the ring out of his cushion and place it on her ring finger. I get up, taking her in my arms and we share a deep and passionate kiss as I pick her up and spin her around. Putting her back down, I keep my lips on hers for a kiss that seems to last for longer than we thought until we both pulled away.

"She said yes!" I said with happiness as everyone cheered again before I face her again. "You said yes. I love you."

"I love you, too." She says with a smile. "So this is what you've been up to, huh?" Cassandra whispers, as her arms rest around my neck once more.

"I'm sorry if I made you mad by not spending enough time with you. I just wanted to make this night special for the both of us. For you." I tell her.

She shakes her head. "It was worth it."

I pull her in closer for another kiss. "Merry early Christmas."

"Merry early Christmas." Cassandra says as she giggles against my lips. Kissing again, I felt like the happiest man in the World, right now.

Reluctantly pulling away, I touch her nose with mine as I whisper against her lips as we just stand there, tuning everything and everyone out around us. A few moments later, I pay the bill as she grabs her purse. We make our out the restaurant and back to the car where we share another kiss before I help her get back in the car.

"I love you." I tell her when I get in the car.

"I love you, too." She replies.

Holding her hand in mine, we make our way back home. Once we did and we parked the car, I leaned over after turning it off and caught her lips with mine. I cup her face and rest my fingers at the nape of her neck. The kiss deepens and I feel her hand rest of my chest. Reluctantly pulling away, I get out of the car and make my way to her side to help her out. We walk up the stairs to get to our apartment and I lock the door behind us when we get in.

Picking her up, I feel her legs wrap around my waist as our lips lock for a kiss while I take her to our bedroom. I take her over to the dresser and hear her purse drop on it as I take the small box out of my pocket and put it nearby. Standing in between her legs as she sits on the dresser, our lips attached to each others as the kiss grows passionate. My hand reaches for her leg as she starts to unbutton my shirt, after taking out the band that was holding my hair in a ponytail. I feel her pull my shirt apart when she gets it completely unbuttoned and I help her get it off as that as well as the wife beater I had on underneath while they both feel on the floor.

Finding the zipper on the back of her dress, I begin to unzip it as she helps take off, showing a strapless, black lace bra. My lips automatically go for her breasts as I kiss them through her bra. Hearing her softly moan, I feel my erection starting to slightly push against my pants. Cassandra reaches for her shoes and takes them off as I do the same with mine, before I pick her up and take her to our bed, before I finish taking off the rest of her dress, showing matching black lace panties.

"I love you." I tell her, taking her face in my hands as she stands in front of me.

"I love you." She replies with a smile, and I couldn't help but do the same.

As we share another kiss, I lay her down in bed, where we make passionate love well into the early morning hours. We bought each other into multiple climaxes throughout the night and shared many 'I love you's' as well until we both fell asleep in each other's arms. Wanting to spend the rest of my life with her, I wanted the rest of my life to start as soon as possible.

 ***Cassandra's POV***

Waking up the next day, I wake up with a strong arm tightly wrapped around me as my head lays on a firm chest with my arm around the waist of that same man. Looking at my hand, I happily smile seeing the beautiful engagement ring that perfectly sat on my finger. When I look up, I see the love of my life sleeping as some of his messy hair covered his eyes. Moving his hair out of the way, he slightly stirs but stays asleep. Carefully trying to get out of bed, I put on a shirt of his, and make my way to the kitchen to start on breakfast. When I was done making scrambled eggs and bacon with biscuits, I feel someone hug me from behind. Just as I was going to turn around, I feel a pair of lips on my neck before he nuzzles it.

"Good morning, future Mrs. Reigns." Roman says in my ear.

"Good morning." I say, with butterflies in my stomach, hearing that.

Turning around, we share a smile before we kiss. Pulling away, I could officially say that I am the happiest I've ever been in my life. I wasn't expecting Roman to propose last night, even though we have both talked about marriage in the weeks leading up to it. I wasn't complaining though, as I am set to marry the man standing in front of me.

"I can't wait to start the next chapter in my life with you." I tell him, playing with his hair that was pretty much still a mess.

"Me either. I want to give you that love and happiness that you mentioned yesterday, that you wanted." He tells me, keeping me in his arms.

"You already do." I tell him.

We share a passionate kiss before sitting down for breakfast. Once we were done an we cleaned up, we shared a shower together before sitting on the couch, cuddled up as we watched television. Remembering the present that I had gotten Roman for Christmas, I reluctantly get out of his arms and go to where we had our Christmas tree and grab a little bag. Handing it over to him when I sit back down, I see him look at it before looking at me.

"For me?" He asks with a smile.

"Yes, for you." I tell him with a smile of my own. "Merry Christmas."

Roman gives me another smile before sticking his hand into the small bag and pulling out a card, with his favorite cologne and a watch that he has had his eye on for weeks, now. I saw a his eyes lit up and that warm smile of his stayed plastered on his face.

"Thank you, baby. I love you." He says, giving me a kiss.

"I love you, too." I tell him.

 ** _Later that night..._**

"Ready to announce the news?" I tell Roman as we stand by our car that's parked outside the restaurant that we had all agreed to meet up at for our Christmas dinner. Afterwards, we were all going to go back to either my dad's or my mom's for the remainder of the night.

"Yes. I'm more than ready to announce that we're engaged." He tells me, taking my face in his hands. "That I'm committing to the love of my life. My world. My everything."

Butterflies fill my stomach again a his lips meet mine for a kiss. When we pull away, I see the look in Romans eyes that he always gives me when he's happy.

"I got something for you, by the way." He tells me, taking out something from his pocket. When he opens it, I see a bracelet with a charm on it.

"Roman, it's beautiful." I said, taking it and looking at it in awe.

The charm was a heart with the words 'Forever In My Heart' engraved onto it. I feel a lump in my throat and I give him a kiss before he helps me put it on.

"Thank you, baby." I tell him. I squeal in excitement as he picks me up and spins me around.

Giggling as he puts me down, we grab each other's hands and intertwine our fingers as we make our way to the restaurant. Getting there, we see my dad already there with Michelle, her dad, and Kaia. We all greet them and when I turn to the side, a big smile on my face appears when I see my mom and my other two sisters as they walked up to us with my brother and his family.

"Mom!" I exclaim, almost running up to her and giving her a big hug before greeting everyone else. It made me feel so excited that I am able to spend Christmas this year with all of them.

We make our way inside and find an area that would be able to fit all of us instead of splitting us up throughout the entire restaurant. It was the restaurant where Dean worked at and the place where Roman and I first saw each other. It bought back memories and had me think back on our journey here. After everyone had gotten their food and their drinks, we all began to settle down and eat as the kids had their own conversations. When Roman and I look over at each other, we agree that we should start letting them know and so we get everyone's attention as we get up.

"First of all, we would like to say Merry Christmas to everyone here and we hope that everyone's enjoying it." I say, Roman and I hold hands. "Roman and I have an announcement that we would like to make, though."

"What is it?" Asks my dad, who looked on curiously, a did everyone else.

"Well..." I started out saying as I look over at Roman as I get a little nervous. He gives me a reassuring smile and squeezes my hand. "Roman and I...we're engaged."

I hold up my hand, showing my ring and hear them all cheer. My mom quickly stood up and gave me a hug, followed by Michelle, my sisters an my brother's wife. They went over to him, as my brother and my dad came over to me for a hug.

"Congratulations, darlin'." My dad says, as he pulls away. I see the big smile on their faces and I can't help but to return the smile.

"Thanks." I tell them. "I'm really happy."

"We know." My brother says. "This is the happiest you've ever been. We're happy for you, Cass."

I give my brother a hug before going straight into my dad's arms for another hug. As we take our seats again, I give Roman a kiss and see the big, silly grin on his face, making me laugh.

"I love you." He tells me, with his blue/grey eyes filled with it.

"I love you, too." I reply, before we share another kiss.

"Have you two set a date, yet?" Asked Michelle.

I shook my head. "No, not yet. We'll talk about it though and see what date we agree on."

"Get ready for my family to want invitations." Roman says. "And I mean all of them."

We laughed and finished eating before going back for desserts. I got my usual vanilla ice cream, while Roman got chocolate. I got one more ice cream cone before we left, and ate it on our way out to the parking lot. Roman and I held hands, while my dad held Kaia in his arms.

"You got some ice cream, right here..." Mumbled Roman as he kissed my lips.

"You just wanted to kiss me." I tell him with a big smile.

He chuckles and wraps an arm around me. "You really did have some on your lips, but I always love kissing you, regardless. We could finish celebrating in bed, tonight when we get home."

"Is that so?" I ask, feeling my cheeks burn.

"I love being in bed with you." Roman whispers in my ear.

My cheeks burned even more and I hid my face, feeling him kiss my temple. Only this man can make me blush as much as he does.

"Everyone going to my place?" My dad asks, as Kaia plays with his hat.

We all agreed and decided to spend a bit more time together before the end of the night. Things were finally getting into place and I was enjoying every minute of it.

 **A/N: Are you surprised that Roman finally proposed to Cassandra? Are you glad that everyone seems to be happy for the both of them and their engagement? How do you think the wedding planning will go?**


	23. Chapter 23

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed and to those who have put those story on their favorites and alerts list!**

 **A/N: I know it's been a while since the last update for this story, and I apologize to everyone who reads this story. It's been a crazy few weeks for me and I haven't had much of a chance to do any writing for any of my stories. But I'm trying to get back on track with it and so I hope everyone enjoys!**

 **DISCLAIMER:** **I do NOT own WWE, NXT or any of the Superstars and Divas from either roster that may appear in this story. Names and locations are used for story purposes only.**

 ***Cassandra's POV***

A little over five months after getting engaged, Roman and I were already planning our wedding. We already had a set date, as well as the venue and who was going to be in the wedding. Roman was going to have Dean and his cousins as his best men while I was going to have Kaitlyn, Samantha and one of my best friends from high school as my bridesmaids. My dad was going to walk me down the aisle and had already cleared his schedule for that week to make sure that he didn't miss a thing. We kept in constant check with our wedding planner to make sure that the venue was still a go, as well as catering and the music.

Setting the date for June 12th, we were in a time crunch. Save the dates were sent out about two weeks after we had secured the venue and all that was left to do were the finishing touches on everything from the flowers to the decorations to the final alterations on the dresses. It has been stressful at times, especially during the times that Roman had practice with the football team or a game, or even both and wasn't able to make it to any wedding related stuff because of it. I had to text him and send him pictures of things if a decision had to be made right away on it. Luckily the football season was already over and he was able to help out more.

"Okay, Cassandra. Calm down." Said Kaitlyn, as she realizes the look on my face when I try on my wedding dress. I have to admit, I haven't been the most easiest person to deal with the last few months. But I want everything to be perfect.

"I am calm." I say almost a little bit too loud. "Is it just me or does this dress seem to fit me bigger and bigger each time I try it on?"

My mom waves everybody away and looks at me when she grabs on to my shoulders. She looks at me with that smile of hers as she admires the dress. "Sweetie, it's okay. We have enough time to get it fixed for the wedding."

"But mom, the wedding is in June and we're already in May." I whimper softly. "Who told us to set the date so close to the engagement?"

"No, don't you do that, Cassandra." She tells me. "You and Roman are doing good with the planning. You're doing okay. Everything is going according to schedule and everything will be done on time. As for you and this dress, young lady...it looks perfect and we'll have it fixed before the day of the wedding. But you need to take it easy. I know how stressful it is to plan a wedding, but don't let that stress affect your health, babygirl. It's going to be all worth it, Cass. On your wedding day, when you walk down the aisle and you see Roman standing there in the front, and his eyes all on you and you alone. Marrying the love of your life. Your best friend. Your soulmate. It'll all be worth it."

She then takes a step back and curiously looks at me. "What?"

"You feeling okay?" She asks me.

"Yeah." I tell her. "Other than stress, I'm perfectly fine."

"You sure?" She asks, still looking curiously.

I look at her and nod as I smile. "I'm okay, mama. I feel okay."

"Just stress?" Asks my mom.

"Stress is all it is." I reply, curiously. "Overwhelmed from time to time, but I'm okay."

She nods and gives me a smile as if she knew something that I didn't which made me curious and wonder what was going on. "Alright."

I see Kaia come in and tug at my dress, making me look down at her. "Cass, you look like a princess! Can I have a pretty dress like that?"

"You're going to be the flower girl, so you will be getting a very beautiful dress." I tell her when I kneel down in front of her.

"That's cool!" She exclaims happily, making me smile. "I like flowers and I want to look like a princess!"

I smile softly and kiss her cheek before hearing her giggle and run around before Michelle tells her to stop running around. Hearing my phone vibrate, I look at the screen and feel a smile pull at my lips when I see that it's Roman.

"Hey, Roman." I say with a smile still on my face.

"Hey, baby." He says and I can hear the smile in voice. "How's my bride?"

"Good." I say, with butterflies in my stomach. "What are you up to?"

I look at myself in the mirror, and straighten out my dress. "With Dean and the twins. We finished up at the gym not to long ago and now we're trying on the tuxedos. I just wanted to see how you were doing. We've both been busy lately with work and the wedding, and I miss you."

"I miss you, too." I say softly and quietly, playing with my dress. "I'm still going to my dad's house for dinner tonight. I promised that I'd have dinner with him this week because we haven't been seeing much of each other lately and I miss my dad and don't forget that I'm watching Kaia this weekend so I have some of my clothes in case I stay over from tonight."

"I remember you telling me." Roman softly says. "I'm going to have some ice cream for you, though."

I smile again and step off the platform I was standing on. "Vanilla or chocolate?"

"I'll have both just to be safe." He says, chuckling.

"I love you." I tell him.

"I love you, too." He says. "Have a good rest of your day, baby."

I bite my bottom lip and wish he was here right now, at this very moment. "You too."

"Smile for me." Roman quietly says.

"No." I softly say, wanting to be in his arms and with my head on his chest.

We've both been so busy that we haven't spent much time with each other unless it had anything to do with wedding related things that required the both of us to work on it together. Roman had been moved up to full time gym teacher during the off season, when there wasn't any football and was asked to help out with some of the health classes.

"Please?" Asks Roman. "I need that smile of yours."

"You can see it later when we face time." I tell him.

There's silence on the line before I hear him again. "But that feels like a long time from now."

I finally smile, remembering how impatient he can sometimes be. "You're something else, you know that?"

"Maybe." He says, with a smile in his voice. "I'll see you later, love."

"See you later." I tell him before we both hang up.

That night, I'm at my dad's house and I'm in the living room with Kaia as my dad and Michelle prepare dinner. I play with my little sister and make sure that she doesn't fall when she climbs up on the couch.

"Kaia, you want to help Daddy set the table?" Asks Michelle.

"Yes!" She exclaims in a tiny voice.

I help her down and watch her run into the kitchen. I go in a few minutes later and see five plates instead of four.

"Are we expecting someone else?" I ask, giving my dad a side hug when I walk up to him. The doorbell rings shortly after that, and Michelle goes to answer it.

"Someone may have mentioned you and they may have mentioned how much they miss you. So I decided to invite them to dinner tonight and because they wanted to spend some time with you." He tells me.

I give him a curious look. "What are you talking about?"

"Hi Roman!" Exclaims my little sister from the entrance to the kitchen.

Quickly turning around, I see a six foot three man, with muscles and his long raven, black hair, up in a ponytail. He had on a grey shirt with jeans and sneakers as he bends down to greet the little girl. Standing back up, he gives that me that smile, _my_ smile, and a wink before going to my dad and shaking his hand.

"Roman." I happily say with a big smile before he gives me a kiss, taking me in his arms, my heart with joy.

"Cassandra." He says with a grin, touching my nose with his as I wrap my arms around his neck. I loved hearing him say my name and seeing that big grin of his.

Hearing someone clear their throat, we turn our attention to my dad who was standing there watching us. Roman dropped one of his arms, keeping the other one around my waist.

"Roman got some ice cream." Michelle says, holding up the carton of it that she had taken from him. Vanilla and chocolate flavored to be exact. Just like he has mentioned earlier.

"So you're the one telling my dad that you've missed me, huh?" I asked him.

"I may have mentioned it once or twice." He replies with a small smile as my dad went to finish helping Michelle with the food. "We haven't been able to see much of each other, Cass. The most that we get when we're home and doing wedding related things and I wanted to see you more. We barely see each other at work anymore and when we do, we're always busy doing something else."

I grazed my lips against his jaw and took in the scent of his cologne before whispering softly to him. "Stay the weekend here with me."

"I'm already prepared." He softly says, hooking a piece of my hair behind my ear.

"Okay, you two. Time for dinner." Says my dad in a deep voice.

Grabbing Kaia's hand when we reluctantly got out of each other's embrace, I helped her up on her chair and got her some juice. My mouth watered at the food in front of me. Rice with pinto beans, mashed potatoes and pork chops. Roman and my dad already began digging into their food before the rest of us followed suit. As my dad started the conversation, Roman would occasionally rest his hand on my knee and stroke it with his thumb, making me miss the warmth of his hand when he pulled it away.

"Daddy, can I have ice cream?" Asked Kaia before eating her mashed potatoes.

"Finish your dinner first, okay?" He says.

I see when she's about to pout, but she quickly moves on when she continues to eat. My dad smiles at her and gives her a napkin. She's the baby of the family and gets a lot of the attention, but I'm sure she doesn't mind.

 ** _Mark_**

"You ready to spend time with your big sister?" I ask my youngest daughter as she finishes up her dinner.

"Yes." Kaia happily replies. "I like when I'm with her. She plays with me and makes me laugh."

I smile at both of them when Cassandra makes a face, causing Kaia to smile and giggle. I look over at Roman while Cassandra continues to put her attention on her little sister. The look in his eyes while he looks at her, I can see the love in his eyes for her. The happiness that he has within him with Cassandra. I smile knowing that my daughter will be in good hands with Roman.

After dinner, we all had some of the ice cream that Roman had bought over and finished cleaning up afterwards. Kaia went to the living room with Michelle and Cassandra followed while me and my future son in law stayed in the kitchen. We heard the television a few minutes later and Kaia's tiny voice as she talked.

"Getting ready for the big day?" I asked Roman as he finished drying the cups that we had all used before passing them to me.

"Yeah, little by little." He tells me. "I didn't think it was this much work planning a wedding. And you know how Cassandra is."

I chuckle and shake my head. "She's been going crazy but she's managed to do okay. She just wants her big day to be perfect and she deserves it."

"I'm just glad I get to marry her." Roman says. "She's my life and my heart. I don't want to be without her."

"We can tell." I tell him. "We're glad that she has you, Roman. You two are good for each other."

We continue to talk for a while longer in the kitchen, before I feel a pair of hands cover my eyes and smile when I hear a giggle. Turning around, I see Cassandra standing behind me with a smile on her face.

"Hi, daddy." She says before hugging me.

"Hey, darlin'." I said, hugging her.

I watched as she sat on the counter before Roman gave her some of his water. He stands in front of her with his back to her and stands close enough to where she can rest her head on his shoulder. I remember when I would do the same thing with her while she was growing up and felt her head on my shoulder. It's something she usually did when she was tired, or starting to get tired or if she didn't feel too good.

"Kaia and Michelle are okay?" I ask.

"Yes. Michelle's giving Kaia a bath." Cassandra replies. "And she's starting to get fussy, so she'll be going to bed pretty soon."

She pouts when Roman moves out of her grasp but looks content when he stands back in front of her and lets her rest her head on his shoulder again. About half an hour later, Michelle comes downstairs and into the kitchen with Kaia and I smile at both of them. I give my wife a kiss and I pick Kaia up in my arms when she tugs at my shirt. I talk to my youngest daughter as she holds on to me and smiles up at me. Looking up, I see that Roman had turned around and was facing Cassandra as they talked a bit. He kisses her forehead and hooks her hair behind her ears as they thought I wasn't paying attention to them. Roman tells her something that made her smile before she replies. My little girl is all grown up and I'm grateful for being able to still be around for her big day.

"We're going to take her to bed and call it a night." I tell the two of them. "We have to be up early in the morning."

"Okay." Cassandra softly says as she gets off the counter. "Goodnight ."

"Night night." She replied in a tiny voice and her pajamas with her blonde hair in a braid.

Roman and Cassandra say their good nights to us before we go upstairs. Once we do, we go to Kaia's room and lay her down in bed.

"Mama. Daddy." She says reaching out to both of us.

Michelle goes to her first and gives her little kisses on her face, making her laugh. I do the same and try to tickle her, making her laugh even more. We finally get her to calm down again and kiss her goodnight once more before leaving her room and going to our room for the night.

 _ **Roman**_

"I have a t.v in my room." Cassandra softly says as she holds on to my arm. "Let's go upstairs."

"Come on."Let's take Kissing her cheek and taking her hand in mine.

We make sure everything is turned off downstairs before making our way up to her room. Once we do, I close the door behind us and I see her run her fingers through her hair as she turns to face me.

"Let's take a shower first." She suggests.

"We can definitely do that." I say, hearing her laugh softly as I follow her to the bathroom where we spend the next hour making love in the shower. Once we come back out to the bedroom, I make love to her again before spending the rest of the night watching television with her in my arms before falling asleep.

The next day came and we were all downstairs cleaning up after finishing breakfast. We have both been stressed out a bit lately and I wanted to help her feel better and keep sane in the last few weeks that we had before our big day. So once her dad and Michelle left for their trip, I talked to Kaia to see if she's help me out with a little something and without her letting her big sister know.

 **A/N: Now that their big day is getting closer, do you think they will have everything ready in time with the final touches? Do you think maybe Cassandra's mom knows something that they may not or is she just making sure that her daughter is okay? And what could Roman be doing for Cassandra to help her feel better?**


	24. Chapter 24

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter and to everyone who put this story on their favorites and alerts!**

 **DISCLAIMER:** **I do NOT own WWE, NXT or any of the Superstars and Divas from either roster that may appear in this story. Names and locations are used for story purposes only.**

 _ **Roman**_

I'm in the kitchen, finishing up with making Kaia's snack since we were about to go out for the day. Seedless, green grapes with a ham and cheese sandwich and a juice. I hear her tiny footsteps as she comes into the kitchen as she wears jeans with a white shirt and sneakers. Cassandra comes in behind her with leggings, a blue shirt and boots that reached her ankles with her hair in a ponytail. She comes up behind me and I feel her chin on my shoulder before she softly kisses my cheek. Smiling, I turn around and take her in my arms, giving her a kiss as she wraps her arms around my neck.

"I love you." I tell her, taking in everything I see in front of me. From the beautiful green eyes with it's hints of blue in them, to her pink lips that I got to kiss everyday and that formed the smile that I love to see whenever I get the chance.

"I love you, too." She tells me with that smile of hers.

We share another kiss before hearing Kaia fussing a bit. Cassandra asked if she was okay and got a reply of her wanting something to drink. Cassandra went and got her some water before sitting her at the table and letting her drink it. I watched them interacting and smiled seeing the two of them. I knew Cassandra would make an amazing mother one day and I couldn't wait to see that happen. When she leaves the kitchen, leaving me with Kaia, I go sit next to her and take her cup when she says that she's finished.

"So, remember our little plan for Cassandra, right?" I ask her, quietly.

"Yes. To make sure she has a good day and that she's happy today." She replies. "Is she okay?"

I looked back, knowing that that she was referring to Cassandra and her sudden departure from the kitchen a few minutes earlier.

"Yeah, she's fine." I tell her, not wanting to worry Kaia over her big sister. When she came back a few minutes later, she kisses my cheek and let's me know that she's okay. "You sure, baby?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Replied Cassandra with a soft smile as she takes my hands in hers.

I could tell that today was one of those days where she just wanted to curl up somewhere and hide. But I wanted today to be good for her and see her smile. Seeing her pout when I stood up, I quickly take her in my arms and take in how she perfectly fits in them. Feeling Kaia trying to squeeze herself in between us, Cassandra picked her up and held her as Kaia showed a big smile when her sister kissed her cheek. Once we were ready to go, I helped grab a few things before we went out to the car. I picked Kaia up after unlocking my car and put her in her car seat, before helping Cassandra in. Once we were on our way, I took her hand in mine and we laced our fingers together, while my thumb stroked her hand.

We got to a spa and salon resort and I parked the car before helping the two of them out. Kaia held on to her sister's hand while I held on to Cassandra's as well while we walked into the place. It wasn't huge but it was big enough to fit both a salon and a spa inside of it. It was calm and quiet in the spa area while you heard the sound of blowdryers and conversations where the salon was. The floors were wood and shiny with a rug in front of the entrance and at the front desk. There were shelves of products that customers could buy that ranged from hair products to skin products. There were large windows by the shelves that helped bring light into the place.

"Hey, girl!" Said Kaitlyn when she and Samantha both saw us. Cassandra had a smile on her face as she greeted both of them before they greeted Kaia and I.

"I didn't know you girls were going to be here." Cassandra said. "I didn't even know that Roman was going to bring me here."

Feeling her stand closer to me, I wrap an arm around her waist to keep her close. "I told them that I was going to bring you here. I wanted you to get pampered today, and so they helped me make an appointment here for you and them so that you can be with your best friends while getting a spa and salon treatment. And there's a nail salon next door if you'd like that, too. I'll pay for everything for you."

"You planned all of this for me?" She asked me, softly with a smile.

"With some help." I replied, making her smile even more.

"You sure you want to pay for it all?" Asks Cassandra. "You don't have to, you know."

I nodded. "But I want to. I'll watch Kaia while you spend time with the girls. I have her snacks in her little bag with her juice. She has her book in the car with her coloring book. I'll keep her entertained. And maybe it'll help you feel a little better, all this getting pampered stuff today. My treat."

She touches my nose with hers and shows me that sweet smile of hers before I give her a kiss. "I love you."

"I love you, too." She replies, giving me a hug. I hold her tightly and see her bend down to talk to Kaia when I let her go. "You be good for Roman, okay?"

"Okay." Kaia replies in a tiny voice as she grabs her sister's face with her small hands. She giggles when Cassandra gives her small kisses on her cheeks. After talking for a few more minutes, I give Cassandra another kiss before paying for them and leaving with Kaia.

"Want to go to the library to see if you can get another book?" I ask Kaia as she holds my hand. She nods and we leave after making sure they were okay.

We make our way to the car and I put her in her car seat when we do. After making sure she was secure, I get in the car and hear it come to life when I turn it on. Making our way out of the parking lot, I make a left to get to the library. Getting there in about fifteen minutes, I park the car and take Kaia out and put her down when I do. I take out her books and her little lunch bag and I close the door, locking the car behind me when I start to walk. I grab Kaia's hand and feel her holding on tightly as we walk from the car to the door of the library.

The building was made with bricks and had two floors. The first floor was where you checked out the books or returned them and was the first thing you saw when you walked in. There was some computers there and a place where you could print things out. There were shelves there filled with books for adults and teenagers and some newspapers as well as some magazines. Upstairs was where they had books for children and so there we went. They had small tables for them and a desk near the front of the entrance to the second floor where they could ask for help and had a few activities for them everyday like puzzles and things that they could color. There was a big rug on the other side where they sometimes had a reading time for them that took place after school during the school year and in the morning or early afternoon when they were out for vacation. Kaia picked out a table and put down the books that I had let her hold and pulled out the climbs onto the chair and fixes herself before looking up at me. I give her a smile and take a seat next to her, putting her things on the table.

"What do you want to do first?" I asked her.

"I already finished the book." She replies in a tiny voice. "I want to color."

Taking her coloring book, I hand it to her and help her look for a page that she wanted to color. After we found a page, I place some crayons near her but away from the edge of the table. The picture she started working on was of flowers and a butterfly. I grabbed a yellow crayon and drew a sun on the corner of the page and gave it a happy face. Kaia pointed it out and giggled before coloring her flowers again.

 ** _Cassandra_**

"You have like, the best fiancee ever." Said Kaitlyn as we were about to get our massage. We were in the room that they were going to get the massage in, awaiting for our session to start.

"He's so sweet and cares about you so much." Samantha adds as we sat in our robes. The room was quiet with some spa music softly playing. The walls were painted white and there were a few pictures up of nature. There were two windows that showed an amazing view of the lake that was in front of it.

I smile, thinking about Roman. "He does. Roman is amazing and I couldn't have asked for a better man. I'm madly in love with that man and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with him. Not to mention that he's amazing with Kaia."

There was a knock on the door and three women came in, dressed in black, which was part of their uniforms. They asked if we were ready and if there was anything else that we needed before they started. Once we were laying down on the beds, they began moments later.

"This feels good." I mumbled, as I rested my head on my arms and closed my eyes. With all of the planning that had to be done for a wedding that was quickly approaching, along with work, I had been a bit stressed out.

"Have you and Roman talked about having any kids?" Asked Samantha, a few minutes into our massages.

"We have talked about it a few times." I tell them. "Roman and I both want kids, it's just a matter of when. We decided to wait until after we're married to start trying."

"The two of you will make amazing parents. Just look at how you are with Kaia." Kaitlyn says. "You're a teacher and he's a football coach. You two will do fine."

When it was over, we had gotten dressed and thanked the ladies who gave us our massages. Knowing that Roman had paid before he left, we left a tip and went next door to get our nails done. We had to wait about 10 minutes for someone to be available to start with our nails and before the nail technician could start on my nails, we heard the bell on the door ring as it was opened. Seeing Kaia, I felt a smile pull on my lips as she ran up to me. I picked her up in my arms and kissed her cheek, seeing a big smile on her face before she greeted Samantha and Kaitlyn.

"Hey, sweetheart." Roman said to me with that smile of his.

"Hey, baby." I replied with a smile of my own as he gives me a kiss. "She's about to start on my nails, so I'll be done soon, okay?"

Roman nodded. "That's fine. I'll wait for you. The massage was okay?"

"It was perfect." I tell him with a smile, as I sit down after putting Kaia down. "I feel better. I think it was just all the stress and being tired. How was Kaia?"

"She was good." He says. "I took her to the library and she colored in her coloring book. Then before we left, she got another book to read."

"You had a good time?" I asked Kaia.

She gave me a big smile and nodded. "Yes and he helped me color."

"Will you show me what you colored when we get home?" I ask her.

"Yes." Kaia replies, happily.

Even though I still wanted to curl up in his arms, that would have to wait until later today when we got back home. Kaia went with Roman and I watched as she climbed up onto the chair next to him before he let her have some grapes. I smile watching both of them interact with each other. I couldn't help but think about how much I love that man with all of my heart.

Halfway into the manicure, I look over to see Kaia walking over to me. I saw her trying to stand on her top-toes to see my nails. Showing her my free hand, she looks at them one by one before wanting to see my other hand. When I get the chance, I show her and see her smile.

"It's pretty." Kaia says as she watches what the lady does as she finishes up.

"Maybe for the wedding, we can paint your nails." I tell her.

Giving me a big smile, she nods and claps happily. "Yay!"

Once we were done, Roman offered to pay before leaving. When we stepped outside, I thanked him before giving him a kiss. He rested his hands on my waist and talked quietly to me as Samantha and Kaitlyn talked with Kaia. We share a few kisses as he keeps me in his arms. I was happy and I didn't want this moment to end.

"I would let you girls spend the rest of the day together while I take care of Kaia, but she wants to spend time with you today." Roman said.

"It's okay, you can come, too." Said Kaitlyn as Samantha agreed. "We haven't seen this little cutie in a while and it's just absolutely adorable how happy Cassandra is with you around."

I buried my face in Roman's chest and felt his lips on my head before he talks. "If it's okay with you, I'll go."

"Yes." I softly say. "And because I just want to hide and curl up next to you."

"My baby." He says, in between kisses on my cheek.

I burst out laughing, not realizing that my friends were taking a picture of it with their phones. That was one thing that I loved about Roman. He wasn't afraid to show his affection with me in public and so he didn't mind holding my hand and giving me a kiss as well as having me in his arms. He showed that he was proud to have me as his fiance and by his side. He has my heart and I have his.

Taking my hand in his, we laced our fingers together, before Kaia came and held on to my hand so that we could all get to our cars. We went to lunch before spending the rest of the day, joking around and talking about anything and everything. We weren't worried about any wedding planning or just anything wedding related. I was with my little sister, my two best friends and the love of my life today. That made me very happy, even as I curled up in Roman's arms later that day, and into the night. It was something small, yet something that had meant so much to me and it was something that I would love to have for the rest of my life.

 **A/N: What did you think of Roman's plan to make sure that Cassandra had a good time today? What did you think of Roman surprising her with Kaitlyn and Samantha to make sure that she had some time with her two best friends? Was it a good way for her to take a break from all of the wedding planning and a chance for her to take it easy, even if it was just for a day or two?**


	25. Chapter 25

**DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own WWE, NXT or any of the Superstars and Divas from either roster that may appear in this story. Names and locations are used for story purposes only.**

 _ **Cassandra**_

Waking up to the smell of breakfast coming from the kitchen, I look over to see that Roman's side of the bed is empty. Stretching a bit, I get up and fix the bed before putting my hair up in a bun. Walking out of the room a few minutes later, I see Roman in the kitchen, cleaning up a bit with two plates on the table with food on it and two cups filled with orange juice. Smiling, I walk up behind him and cover his eyes with my hands. He turns around and gives me that smile of his that I love.

"Good morning, baby." He says, with a sparkle in his eye.

"Good morning." I reply with a smile of my own, as he leans down to give me a kiss.

He touches my nose with his when he pulls back and gives me one more kiss before finishing up what he was doing. Once he was done, he takes my hand in his and we walk to the table. My mouth waters at the smell of scrambled eggs and pancakes with syrup on them. We spend breakfast talking and eating and sharing kisses before finishing up and cleaning. With the school year finishing up, we were out for the summer and happy that were going to be able to spend more time together. Especially with two weeks left before the wedding.

Thankyou for breakfast." I tell him, as he takes me into his arms, in the living room.

"You're welcome. I don't mind making you breakfast." He says, taking a deep breath in as he hooks a strand of my hair behind my ear. "I don't know if I can wait another two weeks."

I give him a smile. "We've waited this long, haven't we?"

"Yes, but I want to spend the rest of my life with you and so I'm ready for the day to be here, already." Roman says.

"Mrs. Reigns definitely has a nice ring to it." I tell him, resting my hand on the side of his face.

"Absolutely." He quickly agrees.

I softly laugh as he shows me that smile of his. Sharing a kiss, I couldn't wait either. The excitement was building the closer we got to the big day. I can't imagine the rest of my life without this man and I don't want to find out what it would be like without him. I'm ready to spend the rest of my life with Roman.

After getting ready to go out, Roman drove me to meet up with my mom, Michelle, Samantha, Kaitlyn and my little sisters to do one of our final dress fittings for the wedding. Roman was going to meet up with the guys for their fitting for their suits. Pulling up to where the store was, my mom was already there with Michelle and my sisters. Kaitlyn and Samantha were walking up to them and waved at us when they looked our way.

"Have a good day, today." Roman tells me, holding on to my hand.

"You, too. Even though you and Dean are unbelievable when you're together." I say, looking over at him.

He laughed and I couldn't help but laugh along with him. With his hair in a bun, as he wore a plain white shirt with jeans and sneakers, he still looked amazing to me. His eyes still crinkled in the corners like it usually did when he laughed, even when he calmed down. Seeing him lean over, I meet him half way and our lips meet for a kiss. Our noses touch when we pull away and he presses his lips against mine once more.

"I love you, Cassandra." Roman says, making me grin and butterflies flutter in my stomach.

"I love you, too." I reply. Grabbing my purse, I get out of the car and and wave at him before he honks and drives off.

"We saw that kiss." Samantha teased as Kaitlyn joined her.

I mumbled under my breath making them laugh. Grabbing Kaia's hand, we make our way inside the store and to the back where the fitting rooms were at. My mom and Michelle were going to try their dresses first, followed by my sisters, then Samantha and Kaitlyn with me going last.

Kaia whimpered softly when I sat down and stood next to me. I look over at her and make a few silly faces, getting her to smile. She then went over to her other two sisters and stayed with them. Samantha and Kaitlyn took their seats next to me as my mom and Michelle got dressed in their fitting rooms.

"How does it feel knowing that in two weeks, you're about to get married?" Asked Kaitlyn.

"It's exciting." I reply with a smile. "A little nervous, but I'm excited and I'm looking forward to it."

"What's making you nervous?" Samantha asks.

I think for a moment while I look over at my sisters. "Ive always wanted to get married, but I never knew when that would ever happen. Now that it is, I'm really excited and happy, but s little nervous. This is a big day."

"I'm glad you have him." Kaitlyn said with a warm smile.

"Me too." I said with a smile of my own. "I wasn't looking for a relationship when I met Roman but I'm glad that it worked out the way that it did. I'm the happiest that I've ever been and I don't see myself with anybody else."

 ** _Roman_**

We had just finished the fitting for our suits, we had made our way to lunch at one of our favorite places. It was the diner that we almost always went to, even if it was just for something to drink when meeting up with our friends. We were able to get a booth and ordered something to drink before ordering our food. Feeling my phone vibrate, I took it out and smiled instantly at the name I saw on my phone. Opening it, I saw the text that Cassandra had sent me and I quickly replied.

"Tell Cassandra that we said 'hi'." Dean said.

"Why are you looking?" I asked, jokingly.

The twins chuckle as Dean smiles before they talk to her father. "Every time we're with him, if he gets a text from Cassandra, he'll have this smile on his face and he'll just light up. Even when he's having a bad day. Sweet, don't you think?"

"I see." He says, before smiling and chuckling.

I shake my head and groan. "You guys are unbelievable."

"But you can't get rid of us." Dean says in a matter of fact tone.

I chuckle and spot the waitress bringing us our food. We thank her before she leaves and we start eating. As we start eating, Dean starts the conversation.

"Are you ready for the big day?" He asks. "It's two weeks away."

"I'm definitely ready." I reply with confidence. "You know, after my last relationship, I wondered if I'd ever get married. I didn't want to go through what I went through in the last relationship, all over again. Then I moved here and I didn't know anyone when I got here. It was a way for me to escape what I had gone through and start new. Thank you Dean, for everything."

He waved it off and shook his head. "You don't have to thank me. I was just helping out a friend. A brother."

"Had we known that Cassandra was going to be your wife, we would have started looking for her long before you left Florida." Jey before we all laughed.

"Listen, I know you already treat her really good." Mark says. "She's the happiest that she's ever been and I can't wait to officially make you part of the family."

I nodded and thanked him before Jimmy spoke. "He spoils Cassandra."

"Oh I know." Mark says with a deep chuckle.

"Hey." I said, looking up at them as I took a bite of my food.

We laughed again before we continued eating and Mark spoke again. "It's okay. I used to spoil her, too when she was growing up. It drove her mother crazy. The things we do for the women we love, right?"

"She turned out fine, though." I said, laughing. "Seriously though, I'm in a good place right now. I thank the man upstairs for the people in my life and how far I've come."

"There's a man upstairs?" Dean asks, jokingly.

The look I give him sends the men into a pit of laughter. I quickly join them before we go back to eating. Later that day, I get home and see that Cassandra is already there, in the living room, watching television.

"I'm home." I say, as I take off my shoes, and leaving them under the small seat by the door like I usually did, and see her look up.

"Roman." I hear Cassandra say with a smile.

Seeing her get up from the couch, I meet her halfway and take her in my arms. Giving her a kiss, I didn't want to let her go, even as her arms made their way around my neck. Pulling away, I breath in deeply, taking in the scent of her perfume.

"You had a good day?" She asked me, lightly tracing the back of my neck with her finger tips.

"Yeah, I did." I reply. "We went to lunch after the fitting and then we just went out for a drive before going to your dad's house. We hung out in the back before I left. You had fun with the girls?"

She smiles and nods. "A lot of fun. I love spending time with them."

Picking her up, Cassandra squeals and giggles softly as she holds on tightly to me. "I know what else we can do, today."

I close our bedroom door behind me and we spend some time in bed before we hesitantly leave bed to start on dinner. I can't keep my hands off of her, and I smile hearing her laughter fill the kitchen. I gently take her face in my hands and I give her another kiss.

"I love you." She says with the sweetest smile.

"I love you, too." I tell her with a smile of my own.

We share another kiss before checking on the food, again. Once we were finished cooking, we set up the table and two plates filled with macaroni and chicken. Cassandra and I had bought some wine the day before, but we hadn't opened it. I took out two glasses and opened it after taking it out and poured some in each of our glasses.

"So, I was thinking..." Cassandra says as she takes a bite out of her food. "We might need a bigger space after we get married."

"Why?" I asked, looking up at her.

She shrugged and I knew she was thinking about something. "Because, I was wondering that whenever we start trying for kids, we're going to need a bigger space. We don't have to start trying right now, but when the time comes. I mean, I know we've talked about having kids and that we were going to wait until we were married, but we never really specified how long after the wedding, so I was just wondering."

"I still want to have to kids." I say with a smile. "That hasn't changed. I don't want to rush you into trying or make you feel like I'm forcing you to get pregnant, just because I want kids. But I do agree that we are going to need a bigger space for when the time comes. You get nervous when you talk to me about kids."

"I don't want to make you feel like I'm trying force you into wanting kids." She says with her cheeks a shade of pink.

"But you're not, baby." I assure her. "After our honeymoon, we'll start looking. How does that sound?"

Cassandra smiles and nods. I give her a soft kiss before finish dinner and have some more wine. In two weeks time, I am going to be marrying the love of my life. It's a day that I can't wait for.

 **A/N: With the wedding getting closer, what do you think of Roman being ready for the big day? Do you agree that he does spoil Cassandra? What about the both of them, discussing kids and a bigger space for when the time comes?**


	26. Chapter 26

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, and who has put this story on their favorites and alerts list!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own WWE, NXT or any of the Superstars and Divas from either roster that may appear in this story. Names and locations are used for story purposes only.**

 _ **Roman**_

It was finally the big day and I was in one of the rooms getting ready with the guys. The photographer that we had booked for today was in the to taking pictures as we talked and got ready. My hair was up and slicked back into a neat bun and I stood, looking out the window in my black dress pants and grey, button down shirt that was neatly tucked in.

"Son, you doing okay?" Asked my dad.

"I'm good." I said with a smile, and seeing my mom come up to me. "Just nervous."

"That's normal." Said my mom as she fixes my tie. "My handsome young man. I'm proud of the person that you have become."

I smile and give her a big hug before telling her how much I love her. We all then finish getting ready in the large room that we had. The photographer had left to take a few more pictures before the ceremony began which was in a little less than half an hour.

The time had passed by faster than I thought it would and we were meeting up with the bridesmaids to walk down the aisle. The venue that we had chosen was the Bell Tower on 34th in Houston. It was an amazing place and it was pretty huge with different rooms. With the amount of people that were here today, we had picked the Candella Ballroom. Cassandra had fallen in love with the place since the first time we saw it. It was large enough to hold everyone from both sides of the family that had come in for today, including friends. With a chandelier in the middle that sparkled every time the crystals caught the lights, there were rows of white seats that were completely filled. There were rose petals on the hardwood floor that reached the altar with each row having a few flowers tied up to the first chair in the row. At the alter itself, there were flowers that were spread out and perfectly placed.

"Still nervous?" Asked Jey as he stood beside me with his brother, Jimmy, and my best friend, Dean.

"Yes." I breath out. Looking around, I see Father Davis walk towards us.

"It's time." He says with a smile.

I let out a deep breath as we all get ready to walk out. Father Davis goes first as music starts to play. Jimmy walks out with Samantha, followed by Jey with Kaitlyn and Dean with Renee. I walk out last with my parents on each side of me. I give my mom a kiss on the cheek when we get to the alter and a hug to my dad before they go sit down. I see Cassandra's mother sitting in the front row, on the sides where the bridesmaids were and saw her give me a smile as Kaia and her sisters walk make their way down the aisle as the flower girls. The music dies down a bit before my breath catches in my throat as the music starts back up. In walks, with her father by her side, the love of my life.

 ** _Cassandra_**

As I nervously hold on to my father's arm, I make my way down the aisle with a bouquet of flowers. I'm wearing a white dress with a sweetheart neckline. The smooth, silk material felt cool against my skin, and some of the crystals shined with the light. There was a pendant with small hints of blue on it, resting on the front of my hip while the rest of the gown reached the floor with a slight train in the back, covering my heels. My long hair was blown out and curled before it was elegantly put up with a few curls hanging down. A veil was attached to a small, diamond crown and flowed down my back. My neatly manicured nails, went well with the 1.90ct Neil Lane, princess cut engagement ring with a band covered in white gold and a diamond that say in the middle, surrounded by even more diamonds that Roman had given me when he proposed.

Looking up at Roman, I see a light in his eyes as he looks at me with passion and love. Along with a few tears in his eyes. When my dad and I reached the alter, he gave me a kiss on the cheek, followed by a hug before sitting in the front row. I smile up at Roman, who is as handsome as can be with his suit and tie. He had shaven and gotten a shape up, and his eyes were breathtaking.

"You look beautiful." He whispers, with a smile.

"Thank you." I whisper to him as we face Father Davis.

He smiles at both of us before beginning. "Ladies and gentleman, we are gathered here today, to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony. Before we continue, is there anyone, for any reason, who feels like these two should not do so? Speak now or forever hold your peace."

When nobody spoke up, he continued. "Today, we will all witness two amazing and beautiful souls join for all eternity. Their love to flourish as they continue their love story. Matrimony isn't the easiest thing in the world. But it takes two people who are both willing to fight for each other. Two people who are willing to love with all of their hearts. It's easy to love someone during the easy times. The good times. But it's the love you share throughout the hard times that will really help strengthen what you share. Roman and Cassandra have both decided to write their own vows. Please face each other and share them."

Handing my flowers over to Kaitlyn, I then turn to face Roman as we hold hands. Butterflies fill my stomach as he looks at me with all the love with all of the love in the world.

"I've spent a lot of time thinking about what to write and what to say." He begins. "Something that would be perfect. But I don't know if words would ever be enough to describe the love that I have in my heart and my soul for you. When I first met you, I honestly didn't know what to expect. At the time, I've been here for months with very little luck. I haven't been able to find a job or have a place of my own. I hesitated at first to take your help, but taking it has been the best thing that I've done. Because of that, I got to have you in my life. Someone who, even when you found out about my pain and my heartache, and my struggles, you still accepted me. You still saw the good in me and the good that I could do. I fell in love with you, and to this day, that love always grows stronger by the day. I look at you, and I see not only, a beautiful woman with a beautiful heart, but I see the rest of my life. Not a day goes by where I don't think about the future with you. You make me happier than I have ever been and the love I have for you, and you yourself, gives me strength, even in my toughest days. I feel alive again because of you. Without you, I'm incomplete. I can't wait to officially start the rest of my life with you, Cassandra. I love you."

"I love you, so much, Roman." I saw with tears in my eyes, as they make their way down my cheeks. He gently wipes them away with his fingers, as he tears up himself. "You are my rock. A constant in my life. You give me strength, even on the days I feel weak. You are my best friend. My true love. My heart. My everything. Life isn't easy, and we both know that. But with you by my side, I can tackle the day ahead of me. I see a man that, though you've been through hard times, you still have the optimism and the strength to keep going. I see a man who is strong, but gentle and caring. Powerful, but loving and sweet. You're an incredible man, Roman. I'm the luckiest girl in the world to have you and I wouldn't give you up for anything. You mean the world to me. You are my everything. I want the rest of my life to be with you. You're my other half. My missing piece. I don't want to see a world without you in it and without you by my side. I love you, Roman."

Father Davis hands Roman the wedding band to place on my finger. It was a platinum band with a few small diamonds.

"Roman, do you take Cassandra to be your wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do." He says with a smile.

Taking the wedding band, I hold it with my fingers. It was platinum with black chrome around it.

"Cassandra, do you take Roman to be your husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do." I say with a big smile.

Father Davis smiles and closes the book in his hands. "By the power vested in me, by the city of Houston and the state of Texas, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Roman takes me in his arms as we share a kiss. Everyone claps and cheers as we do. Pulling away, I have the biggest smile on my face as I am now his wife. We make our way back up the aisle, holding hands before I'm back in his arms with his lips on mine.

Not to long afterwards, we get introduced as Mr and Mrs. Reigns as we make our way into where we would have the reception. Everyone claps and cheers, even after we thank them. There were tables set up with white tables cloths, candles that were lit up and a few flowers. The table that Roman and I were at, was placed in the middle of all the tables. It was one large chair with the back rest in the shape of a heart. A long table filled with food settled not to far away and the dj played music on his equipment. The large dance floor had people walking back and forth across it as they got their food. Roman had taken off his jacket and neatly propped it up before coming with me to get food.

"Ladies and gentlemen," The dj begins after everyone enjoys some food. "I believe it is time for Mr. and Mrs. Reigns to have their first dance as husband and wife."

Roman stands up and walks over to my side and extends his hands. I smile as I place my hand in his and we go to the dance floor. I had taken off my veil, though I left on my crown. Feeling one of his strong arms wrap around my waist and keeping me close to him, his free hand holds on to one of my hands as 'Heartbeat' by Carrie Underwood begins to play. I can't help but smile as he whispers sweet words in my ear. We share a few kisses as we talk here and there before he spins me out and I spin back into his arms. Roman twirls me around and I let out a soft laugh.

"I love you." I tell him and I feel his arms strengthen around me.

"I love you." He replies, before we share another kiss.

We were having the time of our lives and we were happy. We _are_ happy. I wouldn't share this day, this moment, the rest of my life with anybody else but the man standing in front of me. As the song comes to an end, we stand there in each other's arms until the sound of everyone's clapping and cheering, bought us back. We held hands, until my dad came in and asked for a dance with me for our father and daughter dance. Roman smiled as they shared a hug and he went back to his seat.

"Hi, daddy." I saw with a big smile.

"Hi, princess." He says with a smile of his own. "My little girl is all grown up now, huh?"

I smile and I kiss his cheek. "I'll always be your little girl. Just a grown up version."

He chuckles as we continue to dance. After our song comes to an end, everyone joins in for some more dancing. Roman and I make our way throughout the room as we stop and talk to as many people as we can. We have a blast the entire night, and just as it's dying down a bit, someone comes up with a microphone in hand to make a toast. It started off with some of our friends before his parents came up and we give them a smile.

"Congratulations on this big day." His father says. "We are happy and honored to have Cassandra as part of our family now. You have found someone very special, son. You have a woman who loves you, cares for you, and makes you happy. A woman who is strong and kind. Caring and gentle. Your rock. The two of you compliment each other so well and Cassandra, I wanted to thank you for what you've done for our son. Without you, we don't know how he would be right now. You, Cassandra, are an angel and we couldn't ask for anyone better for our son. Congratulations."

We give them both a hug before my parents come up for their toast. My mom went to speak first as she held the microphone in her hand.

"We would like to congratulate the two of you as well." She starts off saying. "As parents, we all want our children to be happy, no matter how old they are. We are always going to want what is best for them. We want them to be happy and to achieve as much success as they can. To have more than what we ourselves, did. Tonight, we're all here witnessing two amazing people coming together. Roman, Mark and I are proud to officially welcome you into the family. Cassandra, sweetie, we're more than happy and grateful to share this moment with you. The day that a lot of girls dream about since they're little. The day when they get to marry their prince charming. Roman is your true prince charming. The way your face lights up and the happiness on your face...thank you so much for loving her, Roman. For making her happy and taking care of her as well as you have."

"Cassandra," My father starts to say when he grabs the microphone. "You were right. You will always be my little girl. The little girl who always gave me the biggest smile and loved when we got to spend time together. The little girl, that even as she grew up, loved when we went out on our drives. Roman, you look at her as if you have the whole world, and everything beautiful standing right in front of you. As if she's the only person in the room and it revolves around her. You're in love with each other and I wouldn't have picked a better for my daughter. When you've found the person that you want to spend the rest of your life with, you're ready for the rest of your life to start at that moment. Keep taking care of her. Continue to love her. I'm proud of the two of you. Congratulations to the both of you and welcome to the family, Roman."

I give them both a hug as tears fill my eyes again. We continue to enjoy the remainder of the night before Roman and I thank everyone for coming that sharing this day with us. Roman and I stand outside after making sure that everything inside was cleaned up.

"So about our honeymoon." Roman says with that wicked smile of his.

I let out a soft laugh as I play with his tie that he has loosened up. "It's going to be a very enjoyable two weeks."

"I love you, Cassandra." He says with a light in his eyes as he takes me into his arms. One of my favorite places to be.

"I love you, Roman." I reply as my lips meet his for a kiss.

I am more than ready to spend the rest of my life with my husband by my side. I finally found the right man.

 **A/N: What did you think about their wedding? How did they do on their vows? What about the toasts that their parents gave them as they also, officially, welcomed them into their families? Now that they're married, what is next for them?**


	27. Chapter 27

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and to those who have put this story on their favorites and alerts!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own WWE, NXT or any of the Superstars and Divas from either roster that may appear in this story. Names and locations are used for story purposes only.**

 _ **Cassandra**_

As we walk out of the airport with our bags, the excitement builds inside of me as I step out into the warm, Paris breeze. Roman walks closely behind me with his bag and we look for a taxi. Once we do, we put our luggage in the trunk and let the driver know where we had to go. Sitting in the back, I looked out the window and took in the sights and sounds of Paris. I was in awe of the beauty that is this place. The lights, the sounds, just everything. It's my first time here in France, and I wanted to enjoy it every chance that I got for the next two weeks.

Once we get to the hotel, we thank the cab driver and pay him and make our way into the hotel with our things. Checking in, we get the keys to the room and make our way up. We didn't fail to notice the marble floors, the chandelier that lit up the lobby, and the antique furniture that they had nearby. With golden tones in almost everything, it somehow managed to be just the right amount. There was a small fountain a few feet a way from the entrance with the water covered part lit up.

We take the elevator and I stand in Roman's arms as we wait to reach our floor. Getting to the fifth floor, we walk out with our luggage and walk through the hallway. Once we find our room, he takes one of the keys and opens the door. Grabbing my hand, I laugh and smile as he picks me up and carries me into the room. When he puts me down, he gives me the sweetest kiss that he's ever given me, before I pull away.

"I'll get the bags." He softly says against my lips.

"Okay." I whisper, with a smile on my lips.

I feel the smile on his and watch as he goes back to get our luggage from the hallway. Looking around, I see the flower petals that laid from the doorway to the rest of the room. There was one, large bed in the middle of the room with white and red sheets. There was a small seat at the foot of the bed that was of leather and black. A flat screen television rested at the dresser that was a few feet in front of the bed. The dresser itself, was a dark mahogany color and had enough room for our clothes. A long mirror, wasn't too far from the dresser and I saw Roman stand behind me when I looked up in the mirror. Candles helped to illuminate the room, with some of the lighting from the room lights itself.

"There's some strawberries, if you want." He says, placing a hand on my waist.

Looking around, I saw the small kitchen area that had a sink, a microwave and a small fridge. There was a small plate of strawberries and so I grabbed one and took a bite. I let Roman take a bite of the same one that I had begun to eat. Grabbing my hand, we went to the bathroom where there was a large, white tub that was great for taking baths and a shower stand with marble walls and a glass door. The floors were tiles and the sink was marble as well. It was large enough to be it's own separate area in the room. It had been neatly filled with towels and soaps.

"I think a nice, warm shower would help, don't you think?" I ask as I grab the bottom of his shirt and take it off, before grabbing a hold of the button on his jeans, and undo them.

"That's not a bad idea." He says with a wicked smile as he takes off my clothes and finishes getting out of his.

Getting into the shower, we turn on the shower head and waste no time with kisses. I let out a soft moan when his lips reach my neck and my collar bone. His hands keeping a hold on me as they roam my body, while my hands rest on his abs. It doesn't take long before the glass fogs up from the heat. I feel one of Roman's hands gently slip in between my legs before one of his fingers slowly make their way in. I let out a moan as I hold on to him and feel his teeth slightly bite my neck as his fingers cause me pleasure. He gently massages my breasts with his free hand as my nipples grow into hardened buds. I am in complete bliss, even as I reach my climax.

Once we finish with our shower, I wrap a towel around me as Roman decides to walk around the room freely without a towel, after drying himself. I didn't mind the view, at all. Not one bit. I walk up to the balcony and see the Eiffel Tower in the distance, with it's lights shining bright, as were the city lights surrounding it. It was one of the most, if not, _the_ most beautiful view I have ever seen in my life.

"Let's go to bed." Roman whispered in my ear. I felt him pulling at my towel, and I knew that sleep was the last thing that we would do.

The towel falls off and we set it on the small seat at the foot of the bed. I let out a short breath as he picks me up and lays me down in bed. I noticed that he must have blown out some of the candles while I was looking out towards the Eiffel Tower, though some were left on. We share a kiss that quickly turns passionate as he towers over me. His lips make their way down my neck and to my collar bone, before reaching my breasts. He takes one into his mouth, creating a hardened bud and then makes his way to the other one, doing the same. I let out a soft moan as he makes his way down even more, until he reaches my legs.

Roman's tongue begins to pleasure me, as I arch my back. My moans fill the room as lets his tongue do the work. Once the first climax came along, he continued through multiple climaxes before making his way back up. I feel his large and thick erection, resting against my thigh and I manage to get Roman on his back, while I'm on top of him. I return the favor, until he reaches his climax, and releases himself. Kissing passionately, again, we turn around in the bed again so that he's towering over me again.

Settling in between my legs, he slowly enters me and we both moan when he does. After adjusting to his size, he begins to passionately thrust as my fingers grip his back. My nails dig into his skin as the pleasure continues and the sounds of pleasure fill the room. Roman takes both of my hands and intertwines our fingers together as our hands are places above my head. It continued until I reached my climax once more, and a couple of thrusts later, Roman finds his climax and releases himself deep inside of me. He pulls out and gently rests on top of me, placing his head near the crook of my neck. When we gathered enough energy, we continued to make love for the rest of the night, until we couldn't physically go any longer. This was the start to an amazing two weeks that lied ahead of us.

 ** _Roman_**

Waking up, I look over and see Cassandra still soundly asleep in my arms. It has been almost two weeks since we have been here in Paris for our honeymoon and we have been having the most amazing time. We've been sightseeing all over Paris and trying all kinds of foods and taking all kinds of pictures of every amazing thing that we have experienced here. Even at the Eiffel Tower, where we have visited a few times at night. Cassandra is in love with the place, especially the Tower. She finds it most beautiful at night. All of our day time activities are followed by dinner and nights of making love for hours.

Checking the time, I saw that it was almost nine in the morning, and so I decided to call room service for some food. Not wanting to wake her up, I gently try to get out of bed, and I stop when she stirs and makes a face. She stays asleep and pulls the covers up a little bit more, reminding me of the air conditioning in the room that we leave on with the warm, Paris heat, outside. I put on some pants and find the menu before ordering for the two of us.

"Roman?" I hear Cassandra ask as I hang up.

I go to where she is and I see her sitting up in bed with her covering herself with the sheets. Her beautiful green eyes, and just her in general, causing my breath to catch in my throat as she looks up at me.

"Good morning, baby." I tell her and she shows me that smile of hers that I love so much.

"Good morning." She replies with her smile.

I see the soft tan that she has gotten in the last few days that we've been here. The way her hair fell into soft waves against her skin and the happiness in her. I walk over to her and give her a kiss before she touches my nose with hers. I give her another kiss before sitting down on the edge of the bed, next to her. "I ordered us some breakfast."

"Okay." Cassandra says before she looks towards the balcony and frowns. "It looks like it's cloudy."

I give her one of my shirts to put on and I go to peak through the curtains. "We'll find something to do today."

"We have two days before we go back home." She says. "I want to enjoy the last two days."

"We will." I say as I look back at her.

Cassandra had already put on my shirt and was getting out of bed, as she stretched. Taking her in my arms, I look into her green eyes and knew that the rest of my life was going to be with her by my side. I wouldn't have it any other way.

 ** _One month later..._**

It has been about a month since Cassandra and I came back from our honeymoon in Paris. Once we got back and were settled in, we started looking for some places that we could live. We have been considering condos, but then houses became an option for us. We wanted to make sure that it was a good place to live, with us wanting to start a family soon.

"So how's the married life treating you?" Dean asks as we are at lunch.

"It's been really good." I say with a smile. "I can't complain. It's been amazing and I'm happy that I can finally call her my wife."

He nods as he takes a bite of his burger. "How's the house hunting going?"

"Good. We've found two places that we really like, but we want to keep looking to see what else there is before making a final decision." I tell him. "I'm hoping that it's soon, with having to start back up soon with football and the new school year. I don't want to leave an extra load on Cassandra's hands with packing and moving. We don't know how many classes they're going to have her teach this semester. With just about everyone of her students passing her classes, and with her students just loving her class and how she teaches, they want to keep up the pass rate for English while also keeping her with at least one or two honor classes."

"She's a big thing now, huh?" He asks with a smile.

Dean has known her longer than me, and if it wasn't for the two of them being friends, who knows if her and I would have met that night outside of the restaurant. He had already known her around the time that she had started teaching at Houston High, and here we are, a few years later, and she's a favorite in the school.

"That's my girl." I say with a proud smile. "Remember when I started working there and I couldn't stop talking about her?"

"Not a day went by throughout the week where you didn't mention her at least once." He replies with a chuckle. "Where is she today, anyways?"

"Cassandra's with her dad today." I tell him, as we finish up what's left of our lunch. "She wanted to spend some time with him."

Looking past him, and at the door, I see someone come in that I haven't seen in a while. This person was one of the reasons for why I came here to Texas, to begin with. The last time I saw them was a while before Cassandra and I had gotten engaged. I didn't care to see them again, but if she's still living here in Houston, there's a chance that this might not be the last time I see her. I don't have anything against my ex, it's just a part of my life that is over. I'm focused on the present and on what's to come.

 **A/N: Now that they're back in Houston from their honeymoon, will they be able to find a new place before the school year starts? How long do you think they will wait until they decide to start trying for a family? Are you surprised that Roman's ex is still in Houston?**


	28. Chapter 28

**Thank you for everyone who has reviewed and for those who have put this story on their favorites and alerts list!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own WWE, NXT or any of the Superstars and Divas from either roster that may appear in this story. Names and locations are used for story purposes only.**

 _ **Cassandra**_

Spending time with my mom, Michelle, Kaitlyn and Samantha for a girls day out. We're at the mall and passing the food court. The past two weeks, Roman and I managed to find the perfect place for us to move into. It's a two story house, and though it's smaller than my mom's house and my dad's house, it's still perfect for us. It's in a quiet neighborhood and in a gated community. We had already starting packing up everything to start moving into the house and we were excited about it.

"That looks good." Michelle says as we pass by an Olive Garden restaurant.

It was smaller than the one that we usually went to and they had an advertisement for a new dish that they had. The smell from a nearby popcorn stand is what I couldn't take. One section had regular popcorn while the other had it flavored. Feeling the sensation rising in my throat, I found the sign indicating where the bathroom was and excused myself before I quickly made my way to the bathroom. About ten minutes later, I'm still in the bathroom, rinsing out my mouth as my mom comes into the bathroom. Seeing the look on her face, I knew she was concerned.

"I'm okay." I softly say as I try to steady my breathing.

"How long have you been sick?" She asks as she gently rubs my back.

Thinking for a moment, I look back at her. "About a week. It's been hard to keep a lot of things down. I throw it back up."

"What does Roman say?" She asks.

"To go to the doctor." I reply. "But what if it's just a bug?"

My mom looks at me and I can't tell what the look in her eyes mean. "Even when you don't eat anything?"

"Yes." I quietly say as I feel a lump in my throat. "I'll be okay, mama. It's probably just a bug. It'll go away."

Without saying anything, she kisses my forehead and walks back out with me. The girls asked if I was okay and I reassured them that I was. Later that day, I sat on the couch and heard the door. Looking away from the television, I see Roman come in and give me a smile. I returned the smile and walked up to him before we shared a hug and a kiss. I had packed up a bit more after I had gotten home but started feeling sick again, so I stopped after two boxes.

'How was your day?" He asks me.

"It was good." I say as he takes my hand and we sit on the couch. "I didn't buy much, just two pair of shorts. I wasn't up for a lot of physical activity today."

I curl up in his arms and rest my head on his chest. "Did you feel sick today?"

"Yes." I reply. "I got sick at the mall. My mom made sure I was okay afterwards. She had some crackers in her bag that she let me have."

"You sure it's just a bug?" He asks with concern in his voice.

I look up at him and my heart tugs with the look of worry in his eyes. "If it makes you feel better, I'll call for an appointment."

"I just want you to be okay." He softly says.

Tracing his lips with my fingers, he gently kisses them. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Roman says with a smile.

A few days later, I was with my mom even though my mind was elsewhere. We were going to meet for lunch and with as busy as I have been the last few days with having the last of everything packed up and moving the last of everything we were taking, into the house, I wanted a day to get some rest before starting back up again. Roman and I were hoping to have our house ready in time for the new school year, especially with football practice beginning soon.

"So how has everything been with the move?" Asked my mom. She wore jeans that reached her ankles, with sandles that showed the new nail polish that she had gotten on her toes, and a light, beige shirt with her long, blonde hair in a ponytail.

"It's been going good." I say, as I'm dressed in a long, blue sundress with my hair in a braid and sandles. "We finished up the kitchen, really fast, which surprised me because I thought we would finish the living room first. We just have to finish everything else."

"And you're getting new furniture or keeping the ones you already have?" She asks as the waitress comes over with our food.

We thank her before she leaves and begin to eat. "We're getting new furniture. New place, new things so to say. We got someone to come in this morning to help set up the television and the internet. That's one less thing we have to worry about. We're getting the stuff for our bedroom tomorrow morning, and the furniture for the living room tomorrow as well, if I'm not mistaken.

"What about you? Are you feeling better?" My mom says. I knew she would eventually ask, seeing as how she was concerned, the last time she saw me.

"I'm still feeling a bit sick." I tell her, not looking up. There was no point in trying to cover it up because she was always able tot ell when I wasn't being honest with her about something. "It was really bad this morning."

I saw her blue eyes look over at me as if she was expecting more. I played with my food and thought about what I was feeling.

"I'm late." I tell her softly.

"How late?" She asks, knowing what I had meant.

Checking the calendar again on my phone, for the hundredth time, I check the dates and the notes that I had made. "As of yesterday, I'm at least a month late."

"At least?" My mom asks.

"I was supposed to get it in June." I tell her. "Roman and I had just come back from our honeymoon and I was supposed to get it around that time. But it was barely anything. Then I missed July and so far it hasn't come in for this month and the school year is about to start. What if it's just stress? We were looking for a new place and then the last two weeks, we've been packing up everything and moving into the house."

My mom eats a fry and drinks some of her soda. "You should take a test."

"What, a pregnancy test?" I ask.

"Yes. Just to make sure." She replies.

"What if I'm nervous?" I whisper.

Her look softens up when she hears me. "About what?"

"About me being pregnant." I softly say.

"It's going to be okay if you are. You have us, Roman and his family. You also have your friends." My mom says as she grabs my hands in hers. "You should check, though."

I thought about what she had said and knew that she was right. That night, I'm in the kitchen of the new house and sitting on the counter. The floors were marble, and the counter tops, including the one I was sitting on, was granite. The stove, the oven and the refrigerator as well as the sink were stainless steel while the cabinets were of a dark wood. We had put our best plates and cups there. There was an island in the middle of the kitchen with granite counter and a few stools around it. There was a lamp hanging from the ceiling and stopped a few feet above the island.

In my hands, I held two boxes and both contained a pregnancy test. Though I've read the directions several times, I decided to wait until tomorrow morning to take it. Next week, Roman and I would have to head back to school along with the rest of the staff to prepare for the new school year. I was nervous about what the tests would say, but I started to get excited and looking forward to it if it did say that it's positive.

 ** _Roman_**

Finishing up with cooking breakfast, I had cleaned up a bit, thinking that Cassandra would be in the kitchen by now. Going out into the living room, I see the flat screen television still on the news, as I had left it and my wife no where to be found. She wasn't sitting or laying down on the grey, suede couch, and she wasn't coming down the stairs. Walking barefoot on the carpet, I pass a section of the wall that held some pictures that her and I had put up last night after dinner.

I walked up the stairs and go to our bedroom, passing two bedrooms and a bathroom before getting to the one that Cassandra and I shared. The door was open and the bed was neatly done. Carpets were on the floor and there was a flat screen television in our room that was smaller than the one we had in the living room. Our dresser was a mahogany color with a mirror and a matching bed set. There was a small rest at the foot of the bed. We had a small bedside table on each side of us and a closet big enough to make her happy.

"Cassandra?" I ask, hearing the water in the bathroom running.

Getting to the door of the bathroom that we had in our room, I saw my wife, standing over the sink as she tried to take deep breaths. She looks over at me and her green eyes shined with tears that were ready to fall.

"You know how I've been sick lately? And I thought it was a bug?" She asks.

"Yeah. What's wrong?" I asked, getting worried that it might be something more serious.

I see her reach over for something and when she faces me, I see two pregnancy tests in her hand. "Roman, I'm pregnant."

"You're pregnant?" I ask, and she hands me the tests. Taking it, I look and they both say _'positive'._ "You're pregnant."

I take her in my arms and pick her up, hearing her let out a small squeal. She looks at me as she holds on to me tightly. "It makes sense, if you think about it. Being sick and I've been tired more than usual."

"For a moment there, I thought you being so tired was from me keeping you up almost all night all those times." I say with a smile.

"Roman." She says as her cheeks turn a shade of pink.

I chuckle as I put her down. "So what do we do now?"

"I have to make an appointment to confirm it and make sure everything is okay." She says. "After breakfast, I'm going to call to see if I can get one before we have to go back to work."

"You know, I'm happy about you being pregnant." I say as I cup her face with my hands.

Her face lights up and she gives me a smile. "You are?"

"Yeah." I reply. "A little you and me running around."

"I love you, Roman." Cassandra says.

I touch her nose with mine and mirror her smile. "I love you, too."

We share a kiss, and I keep her in my arms. I was looking forward to the future even more than ever as the news of my wife being pregnant, fills my heart with joy.

 **A/N: Now that the pregnancy test showed that Cassandra's pregnant, what do you think the gender will be? Are they relieved that they have gotten the house in time for the pregnancy? What do you think the doctor will say when they go for a confirmation of the pregnancy?**


	29. Chapter 29

**Thank you for everyone who has reviewed and for those who have put this story on their favorites and alerts list!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own WWE, NXT or any of the Superstars and Divas from either roster that may appear in this story. Names and locations are used for story purposes only.**

 ** _Roman_**

The day has come where Cassandra has her appointment. We were in the waiting area and wondering when she was going to get called in. A few days ago, two pregnancy tests showed that she's pregnant. I was looking forward to it. Looking over at her, she wore a shirt that was loose on her, but flowed elegantly against her skin and a pair of shorts. Her hair was in a ponytail and away from her face, showing her eyes. She looks beautiful. She always does.

"Cassandra Reigns?" Asks a woman when she steps out from the back.

"Yes?" She says.

The lady smiled when she looked over at us. "You can come with me."

When she stood up, she looked over at me and grabbed on to my hand. "Please come with me."

"Of course." I say as I quickly stand up and follow her.

Walking behind the nurse, we make one left turn before making a right and then going into the second room on the left. The nurse was wearing purple scrubs and had her hair up in a bun. Helping Cassandra get on the bed, I took a seat on the chair afterwards as the door gets closed. The nurse asked her a few questions before taking her blood pressure, height and weight.

"I'm going to give you this." The nurse says, handing a clear cup to Cassandra with a lid and a plastic bag, letting us know that it was a way that they checked for pregnancy. "You can go into that bathroom and give us a sample of your urine."

"Okay." She says, getting up and leaving the room to go to the bathroom.

When Cassandra came back a few minutes later, she gave the nurse the bag that held the cup and sat back down on the bed. The nurse let us know that the doctor would be here in a few minutes and left, leaving the door open.

I walk up to her and give her a kiss. "You okay?"

"I'm nervous." She softly says, as she plays with the bottom of my shirt.

"It's going to be okay." I tell her.

Truth was, I'm nervous as well. This was the first time I've ever been in this situation and I don't know what to expect. I didn't know anything about how this goes or what to do. I just know that I'm hoping that the doctor confirms that she really is expecting our first child.

"Hello, I'm Doctor Stratus." The lady said, extending her hand to me. The woman had brown hair with light eyes and was a bit shorter than Cassandra. Wearing a white coat with her name, Trish Stratus, and the kind of doctor that she was, it covered the button up shirt that she wore underneath.

"Nice to meet you." I say, shaking her hand. "My name is Roman. I'm her husband."

Helping Cassandra get back on the bed, I ask if she's okay and see her give me a smile when she nods. I kiss her forehead and sit back down. Opening her file when she sat down herself, she smiled as she looked back up at us.

"First thing's first." The doctor says. "Congratulations, you are indeed, pregnant."

"I'm pregnant!" Cassandra exclaimed as I gave her a hug.

Giving her kisses, she giggles before giving me that smile of hers, that I love to see.

"Do you know how far along she is?" I ask.

"Not right now." Doctor Stratus says. "The test only shows whether the person is pregnant or not. It doesn't really give anything on how far along the person is. We would have to go in with a different method to get an estimate of that to then be able to give a due date. What we're going to do first, though, is an internal ultrasound which could help us with that."

"What is that going to do?" I ask.

"This is something that is safe to do throughout any stage of the pregnancy." Doctor Stratus adds. "Especially during the first trimester. It'll help us get a better and clearer image of the fetus and the pelvic organs. I just want to make sure that everything is okay."

Cassandra changed and when put on a gown over her shirt. When she laid back on the bed, she put a cover over her legs and let the doctor know that she was ready. She dimmed the lights and put some gloves on, before preparing the probe.

"Now, it might feel a bit uncomfortable, but that's normal." The doctor says.

Holding onto Cassandra's hand, I feel her squeeze and see her wince as the probe enters her. Looking at the screen, I didn't know exactly what we were supposed to be seeing, but I was hoping for something good.

"There we go." Says Doctor Stratus with a smile as she continues to look. "You see that there?"

"Roman, look!" Cassandra happily says as tears run down her face and I give her kisses. "It's our baby!"

This was an amazing point in my life. Before meeting Cassandra, I was starting to wonder when I would have kids of my own, let alone if that day would ever come. Now I'm getting the opportunity of being a father with my wife and I wanted to enjoy this.

"So, you are about eight weeks along, as of this week." The doctor says. "I'm seeing a due date of around March 22nd."

The doctor talks a little more before cleaning her up and letting her get dressed. When she was ready, the doctor had her sit back down on the bed and gave us some pictures that she had printed out for us.

"What I'm going to do is give you some pamphlets and the names of the prenatal vitamins that you will need to take throughout the pregnancy." The doctor says. "The pamphlets will have some information about the pregnancy and what to expect, but if you have any questions about anything, whether it's in the pamphlets or not, don't be afraid to ask. With this being your first pregnancy, it's normal to have a lot of questions so don't feel bad about it. When you go back out there, have them set up an appointment for you for next month. It'll be your 12 week check up."

"Is it normal to feel sick during pregnancy?" She asks.

The doctor smiles. "It's very normal. If it gets really bad, there is a medication that I can give you to help. It should eventually go away, soon."

 ** _Cassandra_**

"Roman, I got it." I said, as he takes a box that I was going to take upstairs.

We were finishing up on the last few things that we had gotten for the house and we were still on the high of finding out that I'm pregnant. We were trying to get as much of our family and friends together so that we can tell them the good news.

"I know, but I'll do it." He says, with the box in his hand. "Just, sit back and relax."

Seeing me pout, he gives me a kiss and takes me in his arms when he puts the box down. Since finding out that I'm pregnant, he hasn't been letting me do a lot around the house.

"It's not that I don't believe that you can't do it or that you can't help with what's left." Roman says. "I just...I don't want something bad to happen to you and the baby. You don't know how happy it makes me to know that you're pregnant and I just want to take care of you and make sure that the two of you are okay."

"I get it." I softly say as I take his face in my hands. It made me happy and pulled at my heart, to know that. "I can still do a few things, though. But I appreciate it. It means a lot to me, sweetheart."

He touches my nose with his and rests one of his hands on my stomach. "I love you."

"I love you, too." I reply as we share another kiss.

With Roman and I having to be back at school starting next week, we wanted to enjoy the last few days of summer vacation for us. We were going to share the news this weekend at dinner and we were looking forward to it.

"Wait, can we go to lunch after you're finished?" I asked, hoping he'd hear me from upstairs. "I want a burger."

He shows his face a few moments later with a smile. "We can do that. Just give me a few minutes."

I softly laugh and take a seat on the couch. Going through my phone, I end up playing a game that I have on it, that I sometimes play when I want something to pass the time. Roman came down a few minutes later and we got ready to go out for lunch that ended up going great, as did the days that followed, leading up to the weekend.

"You feeling better?" Roman softly asks when I walk into the kitchen.

"A little bit." I say, walking into his arms.

I had felt sick all morning and though I had started to feel better, little by little, the feeling was still there. "You want to do it tomorrow, instead?"

"No, we should keep it for today." I tell him. "I'll just eat something light."

His lips softly press against my head before I rest my head on his chest. It was almost time for us to go to dinner and meet some of our family and friends. We were both excited to tell them the news as we look forward to the day that we can meet our unborn child.

"Your nap probably helped." He says.

"Maybe. Then again, I've been really tired lately." I reply. "How am I going to do it at work with my classes?"

Roman thought for a moment and hooked a piece of hair behind my ear. "We'll think of something. Did you tell Levesque yet?"

"No, not yet." I say. "I wanted to tell our family first."

"Hold on." Roman mumbled, as he bent down.

He lifted up my shirt and gently kissed my stomach. I couldn't help but smile as he rested his head on my stomach and kissed it again. Tears filled my eyes and I quickly wiped them away. This was going to be a new chapter of my life and I couldn't wait for it to see what it brings.

 **A/N: With the confirmation of their pregnancy, is it safe to say that had a very good honeymoon? Because there were times when Roman wondered if he would ever get to be a father or not, do you think he's appreciating this moment more?**


End file.
